BVCC EVENT REVIEW & EVENT CALENDAR. POSTED: June 28, 2011.

EVENTS, CALENDAR & LETTERS

June 28, 2011.

EVENT NEWS

June 28, 2011. Buckwheat Valley Citizens Coalition (BVCC) recently received an inside information tip that introduced BVCC to an enlightening electric system wide reliability study (prepared on behalf of the Clean Energy Group's Clean Air Policy Initiative) sponsored by some of the largest power generator companies in North America. This study was completed in August of 2010 by M. J. Bradley & Associates LLC of Concord, MA, and is entitled "Ensuring a Clean, Modern Electric Generating Fleet while Maintaining Electric System Reliability." This study highlights EPA impact, possible power plant retirements, and reliability issues throughout all eight of the Electric Reliability Regions (ERR) within the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) consisting of eight electric reliability regions within North America. Here is some of what this study reports:

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Existing power system capacity well in excess of minimum reserves levels, relatively modest projections of load growth over the next several years, a large amount of proposed generating resources throughout the country, and the availability of load management practices indicate the electric system should be able to handle the transition to a cleaner, more efficient generation fleet.

The Electric System Has Substantial Excess Generation Capacity and Appropriate Processes in Place to Assure Reliable Electricity Supply to Customers.

Moreover, as a result of the economic recession, [North American Electric Reliability Corporation] NERC projects "significant reduction in projected long tern energy use in North America" which provide an addition capacity cushion.

Plans are underway for a variety of new plants, even as less efficient ones are retired.

Moreover, the industry has shown previously that it can efficiently add capacity or respond adequately to potential reliability issues.

Although California and the Northeast account for over half of the total, budgets for ratepayer funded [Energy Efficiency] EE programs are expanding in all regions of the country.

Proven pollution control technologies are widely available to dramatically reduce emissions of NOx, SO2, mercury, and other HAPs from coal plants, which account for 98 percent of the electric sector's SO2 emission, 86 percent of its NOx emissions, and 98 percent of the electric sector's mercury emissions.

Current industry practice and review of applicable system data indicate the industry is well-positioned to respond to [Environmental Protection Agency] EPA's mission to "help millions of Americans breath easier and live healthier" without threatening electric reliability.

The existing substantial excess capacity, the industry's proven track record to timely construct new generation and to efficiently coordinate the scheduling of planned outages, together with capacity upgrades, transmission enhancements, "Smart Grid" investments, fuel conservation, [demand reduction] DR, and [energy efficiency] EE, should mitigate reliability concerns.

The industry has already successfully employed these various strategies to reliably meet customers energy needs while reducing environmental impacts, and it will continue to do so in response to EPA's new regulations. As a final backstop, existing statutory, market and regulatory safeguards will facilitate the retirement of inefficient units, and orderly transition to cleaner, more efficient generation.

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Ensuring a Clean, Modern Electric Generating Fleet while Maintaining Electric System Reliability.
 http://www.stopthelines.com/downloads/MJBAandAnalysisGroupReliabilityReportAugust2010.pdf

SUMMARY

Wow! Wait a minute here. Everything in this extensive twenty-seven page study says that all our electric engine needs is a "tune up" and it will run just fine thank you! That's not what special interest promoters of multi-Million dollar high voltage - high capacity transmission line projects (like CapX2020 and the Badger Coulee line) have been promoting. According to their sales pitches Wisconsin and the Midwest is behind the eight ball and unless we install new gigantic transmission lines that connect to new gigantic sources of energy generation (like the coal fired ones in the Dakota's) we could be left in the dark, unable to turn the lights on. Now, tell me citizens, who is not telling the whole truth, nothing but the truth, so help me? Maybe Mr. CapX and Mr. ATC have some new questions to answer from the public? As the great comedian Ricky Ricardo use to say, "Lucy..you got some explain-in to do?"


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