Our April ice storm has Xcel Energy struggling to restore electricity to (as of 07:25 CST this morning) nearly 20,000 customers. The rural electric coops in southeast South Dakota are trying to get power back to another 2,700 customers.
Meanwhile, USDA Rural Development is spending $280 million to improve rural electric service in 13 states. In South Dakota, Clay-Union Electric Corporation gets a $6,871,000 loan to build 118 miles of distribution line, work on smart grid projects, and make other system improvements that will provide more reliable electricity.
But I'm sure you Republicans will vote to send that money back to Washington, right?
I've always appreciated a banker who could understand my néeds and give me a loan Cory. Now why would I wish to send my loan back or call it anything other than a good business transaction
like washing a rented car, right?
More distribution lines would be a start to develop wind and solar here, of which there is a great abundance. This development is a great start. Thanks Uncle. I would also like to see the power lines placed underground to avoid the ice storms.
I've noticed an effort down in southern Turner county (around Viborg) to get more transmission lines underground. Part of this project?
Here is a suggestion for Xcel. How about better communications with the public.
We've been out of power sense Tuesday and on Tuesday we were told Wednesday 11 p.m. Thursday night and now we're told 11p.m. FRIDAY night.
How about holding a press conference and letting people know what's going;
Of course the Sioux Falls TV stations wouldn't cover it because it didn't pertain to Sioux Falls or in Minnesota.
In a press conference this morning, Wilcox of XCEL seemed to indicate that something like 80,000 people were without power, but with help from other utilities, they had restored power to something like 50,000 customers. KELO news from a town with underground wires indicated it had no power because transmission lines into the town were down and repairmen were not available.
This has got to be a logistics nightmare. Based on our own experience years ago, the electric suppliers will not connect even a good line to their systems until they have looked at it themselves. We went nearly two weeks without power because they couldn't drive their trucks easily along the line in the deep snow. We checked every foot of it and found nothing wrong. They also found nothing wrong when they finally got around to reconnecting it.
Policies and procedure may make sense in general, but they can just about drive individuals nuts with what turns into nonsense in practical world.
As for power lines to get wind and solar out of here, let's use the power right here to produce methanol or anhydrous ammonia. Instead of a dozen jobs, that might gnerate hundreds of jobs.
Since they are a monopoly and we have virtually no choice of providers we should "fine" the electric companies in proportion to our monthly rate for every 1/10 of an hour that we are without service. Smart meters and our own records can verify.
"I would also like to see the power lines placed underground to avoid the ice storms."
Not going to happen anytime soon, unless we all want to see increased costs. Power doesn't move through the ground very safely. It's a physics thing, even though I would agree it would save us time and money when storms hit.
Eminent domain: priceless. The grid is a dinosaur waiting for a comet.
DB, I won't question your science...but why are all the new neighborhoods built with power in the ground?
As for the "when storms hit" I'll leave you to your thoughts on where we live and if we get storms that knock down lines.
Hey, but at least the Governor has decided that there might be damage here after his trip to a communist country that is our biggest economic and military enemy.
Thank god he's turning 50 prisoners loose to help us clean up rather than activate the Guard units he commands...although he may be waiting to see if Dakota Dunes and Marion Gardens need public assistance before seeing what the hoi polloi really needs.
Wonder if the Governor's team all got Mao jackets and gift cards to Wal*Mart for souvenirs in exchange for Sturgis themed wife beater t-shirts they gave their hosts.
In all fairness, it was probably a good experience for the Governor to brag about how much more his state pays their workers than the forced labor camps of China ;-) He doesn't get that chance very often.
Heck DB...don't feel bad for Xcel...
The Governor's GOP team at the PUC just gave them a 6.86% raise...that we get to pay for!
That was mighty generous of the good Republicans on the PUC who are paid by the people they just raised the rates for...
Oh yeah...they made a big deal on how they scaled back the original request. Surely we expected and asked for more accountability from the utility in exchange...what...no?
After all, Excel has struggled for the last 5 years...
http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=XEL&source=story_quote_link
Maybe education should ask for an increase of 20% and then settle for a measly 10% so the GOP can talk a good game as education tries to claw their way back from the Draconian Daugaard/GOP cuts of the past.
Oh sorry...I forgot...this was where the GOP and their statewide elected officials were going to tell us what a great job they were doing for everyday South Dakotans.
Ms. Jana, I hope you listen to soothing music tonight as you sleep so you don't grind your teeth in hate.
Thanks Grud. I listen to jazz to relax and vent to make sure that the comfortable are afflicted so that there might be hope for those afflicted by the comfortable.
That brings me comfort and release.
Grud...I also look to humor to sooth the savage beast within....
"New Rule: Libertarians have to stop ruining libertarianism…or at least do a better job of explaining the difference between today's libertarian and just being a selfish prick."
---Bill Maher
"What did you have for dinner tonight? The president had a green salad, steak, sautéed vegetables and twelve Republicans."
---Lawrence O'Donnell
"It's week two of the pipeline spill. Or as Exxon calls it: The Great Arkansas Oil Giveaway. … Exxon is employing a time-honored cleanup technique pioneered by drunk guys: you just throw some paper towels down on whatever you spill and just get outta there. Of course there are other drunk guy options, like hiding the spill with a strategically-placed coffee table or, better yet, just flip Arkansas over like a couch cushion."
---Stephen Colbert
"Jason Gant is a great and competent SoS"---said no one
Credit for all the power rate increases goes to your number one man Jana. Coal going down and all the new nat gas power has to be paid for.
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Now we've truly found something on this post to truly thank Uncle for, besides twisted words.
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As for your comparison of underground utilities in neighborhoods versus transmission and larger distribution? Get your checkbook out for some more power cost increases to blame on the PUC or the good Repubs.
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Btw, your humor out does any of the other quotes(Compliment). I actually think a couple shots of Crown Royal and you'd be entertainment I might even pay to watch. Not sure who'd have to drink the whiskey though.
DB: 'electrical power doesn't go through the ground well' - esplain that to New York City which survived a hurricane and didn't lose power because its all underground. The monopolistic utilities can afford to bury the power. They can just suspend dividends and inflated executive and board salaries and benefits - treat them like a public utility until the job is done.
Jana for Governor!
Underground power lines are more expensive to install, maintain, and replace. Developers choose them mostly for aesthetic reasons... and regulators should be careful that the extra cost goes only to the ratepayers served directly by those lines, not by everybody on the grid who's still looking at overhead wires. NC utilities find that outages are 50% less frequent with underground lines, but it takes 58% longer to fix those outages.
Buried power works just fine John. Here is where your light bulb dims substantially..
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New York City, 6700 square miles population of 19 Mil still plugs in to overhead transmission, versus SD 17,000 square miles population of 850,000. We are called a high cost area to serve due to lack of density though it looks like there is still plenty here.
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These rural monopolies as you call them serve us with lower rates than your New York comparison and don't need us nearly as bad as we need them. You run crying like a baby for pablum when Mother Nature wreaks havoc on all and want to fine them some rediculous amount. Let me hear that liberal whine again John! Maybe we could power Soiux Falls with all this liberal whine that started over a loan, not a federal endowment.
Les, sure NYC and LA have economies of scale yet more important they have the will to force the utilities to bury it. Utilities that refuse to bury power are closet federal welfare queens as their business model calls for a federal bail out, forgiven loans, etc., when regular storms repeatedly take their temporary overhead lines and poles. They've been doing this for 80 years - evidence of a flat learning curve in other circles. (Doing the same thing and expecting a different result . . .)
These utilities do not believe in the capitalist business model or they would allow customers to contract for the lowest cost provider; they would advocate for full reverse net metering; for six sigma service; for automatic refunds when their service is out. They've been doing essentially the same thing for 80 years holding us hostage to their monopoly - the hostages, through their government are getting restless.
Burying a line for one city block that holds ten thousand consumers doesnt require force econ John.
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Brother John, it is better to be thought a fool than assure the world with words. In my world, forcing you to do something is not what our country was founded on.
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Don't like guns, don't buy em.
Don't like abortion, don't have one.
Don't like power companies, unplug. Simple as that.
Full reverse net metering? Tell you what John, build a transmission line and maintain it while we full reverse net meter so you can give us the hands on biz model. I guarantee you will have the monopoly on that system in your socialist world.
Don't like Republicans, don't birth one.
Amen Lar! Oops, can I say that here?
The good news in from KELOLAND is that the Governor of South Dakota made a proclamation that home building was good for the state! Yeah!
http://www.keloland.com/newsdetail.cfm/sd-gov-recognizes-home-building-for-creating-jobs/?id=146587
KELOLAND also reports that Governor Dayton, Senators Franken and Amy Klobuchar were in Worthington, Luverne and Hills to talk with residents affected by the storm that severely damaged the region.
http://www.keloland.com/newsdetail.cfm/mn-governor-senators-visit-winter-storm-damage/?id=146602