Our pole tester, Scott Cooper, is in the International Falls service area this month. He will be testing poles in the area on this map, which includes the Rainy Lake area, as well as areas south, east, and west of International Falls. He frequently travels on 4-wheeler, but also has North Star signage on his vehicle. Just keeping you in the loop…
Comments are flooding in on the heels of the Obama administration’s June announcement of the United States’ first proposed rule to cut carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions from existing power plants.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed that existing plants reduce carbon dioxide by an average of 30 percent – compared to 2005 levels – by 2030. North Dakota’s reduction goal is to cut CO2 emissions by 10.6 percent.
North Star Electric’s wholesale energy provider, Minnkota Power Cooperative, is concerned about the proposed rule.
“This is obviously an important issue for Minnkota and other electric cooperatives in this country,” said Mac McLennan, Minnkota president & CEO. “We hope the consumers in our system will go to action.coop to learn more and submit official comments on the proposed rule to the EPA.”
The EPA is accepting comments on the proposal until Oct 16.
Two-day public hearings were held in Denver, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Pittsburgh the week of July 28. Interest in the meetings was strong, with speaker slots for Denver, Atlanta and Washington filling up well in advance.
Minnkota Environmental Manager John Graves was one of 388 speakers at the Denver location. An EPA spokesperson said a combined 1,322 people spoke at the four regional meeting locations. All hearings were two days.
“The first concern is that the EPA has based the required CO2 reductions upon the reductions potentially available by the states utilizing four building blocks,” Graves told the EPA. “Of those four building blocks, three of them are ‘outside the fence,’ which we do not believe is permissible under Section 111(d).”
Graves also said Minnkota is concerned about the length of time before states must submit their State Implementation Plans (SIPs).
“The guidelines require states to submit their SIPs to the EPA by June of 2016, although a one-year extension is possible,” he said. “Even with the extension, this time frame is too short. Most states took three years to prepare an SIP for the regional haze program, which is a relatively straightforward program compared to this program. States need more time.”
Minnkota and North Star Electric continue to analyze the proposal, dubbed the “Clean Power Plan,” for its possible effects on the reliability and affordability of electricity for cooperative members and the region at large. Minnkota, like all utilities, interacts with the larger energy market to ensure its members have a dependable and low-cost supply of energy.
Minnkota and North Star Electric have invested more than $425 million into environmental upgrades at the Milton R. Young Station near Center, N.D. Total investment in the clean coal technology at North Dakota’s eight coal-based power plants is more than $2 billion.
Many of you have noticed that our bills are coming out a bit later and the due dates have changed. This summer, we are in the process of moving our meter reading dates from the 20th to the end of the month, so we have extended the meter reading date by a couple of days each month. So as your meter reading date gets pushed forward, so does the bill due date. The due date in August will be on the 16th, the due date in September will be on the 18th, and the due date in October (and all months going forward) will be on the 20th.
Our solar project is up and running at our Baudette office! The purpose of this project is to evaluate how solar power will work in northern Minnesota, and save time and money for our members who are interested in solar.
We hope to get answers for questions you may have, which might include:
Check out the link below to see the power generated by these solar panels, and stay tuned for more information on this solar project!
Believe it or not, heating season is just around the corner. Now is a great time to think about your electric heat options in preparation for the upcoming heating season. This publication, Electric Heating Today, is a great resource for members who are considering their electric heat options. Check it out!
Here’s another example of the “cooperative difference”!
Today North Star Electric presented a $10,000 check to go toward the purchase of hydraulic lift equipment for the Lake of the Woods Ambulance Service. This $10,000 donation was from both North Star’s unclaimed capital credit fund and from CoBank’s Sharing Success Program. Pictured in this photo:
Jason Breuer, Jaime Boretski-LaValla, Phil Talmage, Carrie Davidson, Randy Bergan, Julian Brzoznowski, Reed McFarlane, Steve Arnesen, Mike Trueman, Bobby Jo Castle, and Mike Larson. These individuals represent the organizations that have been fundraising for the $32,000 project to purchase hydraulic lift equipment for the ambulances. They include the local EMT’s, LakeWood Regional Healthcare Foundation, the Rotary Club, and North Star Electric Cooperative.
If you are in a flooded area, stay out of the water where electrical equipment is located. If you need assistance, please call us.
Read on for more safety tips during times of flooding:
Mark your calendars! Our Member Appreciation Open House days this year will be held on June 19 in Littlefork, and on June 20 in Baudette, from 11 am – 2 pm each day. We will be serving brats, chips, soda pop and cookies. Since school will not be in session, we will have many activities for kids! There will be face painting, an electrical demonstration, popcorn, cotton candy, balloons, and a coloring book station with free coloring books. We will also have bucket truck rides for the kids as well! And as a bonus, we will also have a drawing for bicycles for both a boy and a girl at each open house location. Be sure to bring your youngsters to the open house in your area and give them a chance to win!
Yesterday President Obama unveiled the EPA’s proposed Clean Power Plan to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from existing power plants. The EPA’s numbers show their goals by state, and Minnesota will need to reduce CO2 emissions by 41%. This will be very expensive, especially since there is still no proven or acceptable technology to achieve this on a large scale.
The President/EPA claim that electric bills will shrink 8%, but when costs increase, rates must follow the same upward path. It appears they are counting on you to choose to use a LOT less electricity.
We are naturally concerned that these newly proposed regulations will:
There are a lot of details to work through in this proposal, but in the meantime, as a North Star Electric member, please be aware of what is unfolding. We will be in touch when action is needed and when more information is available.
With Touchstone Energy’s Kids Zone, children can have fun while learning about electricity, electrical safety, renewable energy, and energy efficiency. The online site features games, coloring pages, and tips for helping families create an energy-efficient home. Check it out at TouchstoneEnergyKids.com!
