All posts in the topic Xcel's new S Mpls transmission lines and substation (Short link)
Summary
- There are 4 posts — by 3 authors — in this topic.
- Latest post made by Mark Sulander at Nov 28 07:56 UTC
| From | File | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Sheldon Mains | winmail.dat | Oct 24 16:22 UTC |
Is there a real need for the midtown substation? City needs to ask: From Strib: conservation reduced electricity use. http://www.startribune.com/business/33187969.html Sheldon ................................. Sheldon Mains Seward Neighborhood, Minneapolis, Minnesota http://www.SheldonMains.com/ Blog: http://RandomStuffFromSheldon.blogspot.com/ Twitter.com: sheldonM <email obscured>
The following file was added to this topic:
Posted 10:37 p.m. Sunday Nov. 9, 2008 Special Land Use and Transportation Committee meeting November 10, 6:00-8:00 pm Midtown Greenway Coalition offices in the Freewheel Midtown Bike Center On the Greenway between Chicago and 10th Avenues Xcel Energy is proposing to add two substations near or on the Midtown Greenway, one either side of Hiawatha Avenue and the other between I-35W and Chicago Avenue. So, one would be in Phillips and possibly one in Seward. This would also involve running a high voltage power line in or near the Midtown Greenway to the substations from the existing power lines along Hiawatha Avenue. More details can be found at: http://xcelenergy.com/Company/Transmission/Transmission%20Projects/Pages/HiawathaProject.aspx Xcel has not yet release a "Need Study", for our area, so why are they planning to build this high voltage "super-highway" of power lines here? It appears likely that this new power would be shipped elsewhere... but we would get the EMF and the damage to our property values/ precious Midtown Greenway. Who knows how quickly the City might approve this-- so let's get organized! This is a very important issue for the Greenway and one that could have a negative impact on trail users, on future development along the Greenway and on the people who live along the line and near the substations. For questions/ more info: call Mark Sulander, volunteer with the SNG Environment Committee cell: 612-310-7827
I went to the presentation over at Hiawatha School Park to the Longfellow
Environment and Transportation Committee on Tuesday night (11/25). Three folks
from Xcel presented several maps and aerial photos, showing the potential sites
for substations and transmission lines for the Hiawatha Project.
According to the presentation, the main problem is that electricity is being
brought in to this area from several substations around us, and those
facilities are becoming overtaxed due to our increased area electricity
consumption. The exact location of substations and transmission lines is still
being studied, but it is a pretty good bet that the line will be located right
along the Greenway. That naturally limits eco-motivated development along the
Greenway (who wants to look out your urban condo, right into a 70-foot
transmission tower), but added development is what is driving the new
construction in the first place.
Xcel presenters stressed that this construction is designed entirely to serve
South Minneapolis; it is not a pass-through project for somebody else (although
this project would indirectly benefit substations currently serving us, which
would gain reliability by lessened demand). Xcel presenters claim that this
new construction would actually lessen the carbon footprint for our electric
use, since long lines of lower-power lose more juice than bringing it in at
higher voltage and having more substations.
There were a number of questions about esthetics, particularly the possibility
of underground instead of above-ground. It's a money question, which they
would be fine with passing along to us. Overhead construction would cost about
$15 million, while underground would come in at around $31 million.
I asked several questions relating to the need in the first place. What would
be the relative cost, for example, of providing photo-voltaic panels requiring
no additional transmission capacity, for example? Or would it be possible to
eliminate the need altogether by handing out free compact florescent light
bulbs and power strips that you could use to cut the "phantom load" that goes
to keep your giant plasma screen sucking juice 24/7 so you don't have to wait
for it to warm up? (They seemed to indicate that our historic doubling of
electric use was largely due to consumption changes like phantom load and more
electronics generally.)
Well, they didn't like my solar panel idea much. It's expensive. (I can't
find all the numbers in my notes, but I did note that 2 megawatts of
photovoltaic would cost $13 million, whereas we apparently need something like
100 megawatts locally, so that might be ecological, but it's not too
cost-effective yet for a profit-driven company.)
They didn't address my conservation question at all, except to say that it was
a good idea and that they would think about it.
My take: it is a classic battle between our own gluttonous consumption and our
desire to preserve the environment. Habits change slowly. (Ask any parent how
hard it is to get that teenager to take shorter showers or turn off the lights
when they leave.) But if things keep going along this path, it looks to me
like the entire Greenway is going to start looking a lot more industrial than
it does now. Which would be a shame.
Parting comment: When I saw the height and massiveness of the cement powerline
poles, I blurted out, "Stick some wind turbines on top of those things. They
sure are tall enough!" My impertinence was met with a somewhat cold silence.
Charley U. raises some excellent points.
In fact, there is growing opposition to Xcel's "Hiawatha Project" in our area.
Several neighborhood groups have either passed, or are now considering
resolutions
opposing Xcel's Hiawatha Project proposal.
Why? Despite numerous public meetings by Xcel, there are still too many
unanswered questions. Here are just a few:
Is such a huge amount of new power really needed in our area?
Should the 2 sets of powerlines potentially cover over a mile of the Midtown
Greenway or
adjacent neighborhoods ?
Overall, why should our local area be subjected to degradations in health,
property values and public parkland, etc., if much of the power may ultimately
be sold to increase Xcel Energy's profits elsewhere in the Midwest or the U.S.
?
1. There is still no documented** need for a huge power increase in our
area:
Xcel has failed (for two months now) to document the need for a huge power
increase in our area.
Xcel's first Hiawatha Project press release was way back on September 25, but
it still has not completed, nor released a "need" study**, to the public. Yet
Xcel pushed ahead anyway, and has now completed most of its planned public
meetings. It still plans to make its application to the PUC in January.
2. This flawed process must stop. Xcel must immediately complete and
release the need study and if necessary, schedule a new series of public
meetings to discuss the study. Xcel must then delay its application to the PUC
until the public has had adequate time to review and give input on the data
contained in the need study.
3. Overall, power demand has dropped 3%**, so why do we need this kind of
huge power project in our area now? Some experts are warning utilities to hold
off on any new power expansion projects. (**Xcel's CEO, Dick Kelly, was
recently interviewed in the Wall Street Journal, and cited a 3% drop in power
demand, similar to reductions seen elsewhere in the U.S.).
4. Will most of the power actually be used in our area, or merely routed
through here, on huge, ugly high voltage towers and then sold elsewhere? Is
this yet another example of an electric utility seeking to build more and more
power plants and power lines, so that they can take advantage of the
"Enron-era" deregulation and sell more power elsewhere in the country and make
more profits?
5. Why can't the existing power-line system be better maintained and
updated? Xcel states that most of the area's distribution equipment dates
back to the 1940's and 50's. Shouldn't Xcel be replacing that equipment
first, to eliminate power problems at the hospital and Midtown Exchange? What
technical alternatives are available to further improve power quality in our
area?
6. It's far cheaper to reduce the load needs by conservation and efficiency
improvements, than to increase power loads and capacity. What will Xcel do to
partner with the community to reduce the need for electricity?
7. How could power in the area be increased, using non-polluting sources?
An increasing number of experts now advocate local power production (e.g.
through solar heat and electricity) What local power options would work best
during highest peak demand: hot, sunny summer days? Many large roofs are
available in the area – if we spent an amount equal to the cost of the Hiawatha
Project (say 15-30 million dollars) on solar and conservation and other
alternatives?
8. New "Smart grid" technology has already reduced peak demand by 20% in
west coast pilot projects. In fact, federal and and state regulators
(including MN.), are already considering Smart grid implementation requirements
before utilities propose new power plants or transmission lines. Xcel should
fully implement Smartgrid throughout the Metro area BEFORE any huge new
transmission projects are proposed here, or anywhere throughout the Metro.
For further information/ or to volunteer, contact:
Mark S., at: <email obscured>
or Neighbors Concerned c/o EPIC East Phillips Improvement Coalition
(online at): <email obscured> or call : 612- 721-4509
.