FYI
SME is owned by five rural cooperatives and Electric City Power, which is owned by the city of Great Falls. The rural cooperatives are based in Red Lodge, Lewistown, Hysham, Ashland and Huntley. They serve about 120,000 residential and industrial customers in 22 counties.
February, 2007
That's a lot of people. No worries, those 120,000 people all want this plant, Right?
Gregori admits that carbon emissions were not at the forefront of discussions four years ago when the project started, but as concern over global climate change heats up, so does the pressure to curb carbon emissions — a greenhouse gas which scientists believes contributes to global warming.
February, 2007
Er, carbon? Emissions? We didn't hear nothin' bout no emissions four years ago. What's global warming? Anybody?
Ms. Coleen Balzarini, the City of Great Falls Fiscal Services Director and the Executive Director of Electric City Power said on this very issue: During the last legislative session, the City did request a change in law to allow us to serve residential customers within the City limits. The legislature opted to not approve that request. The City is considering making a similar request this session, but has not made a final decision to do so, and has no guarantee that even if the request is made, that it will be granted.
December 2006
But, but....
The city of Great Falls also hopes to use its share of the power to serve its 50,000 residents through a nonprofit municipal power authority.
March, 2006
State law has no mercury emission standards for coal-fired power plants. But two other plants' owners have agreed to mercury standards, setting a potential precedent for state regulators.
Hedges said her group broke off the talks because Southern Montana would not agree to language essentially forcing it to work toward 90 percent removal of mercury in the coal-burning process. A new coal-fired plant at Hardin and a proposed plant near Roundup have agreed to similar standards, she said. "We said there's no agreement unless (Southern Montana) does what other facilities have been willing to do," Hedges said. Gregori said Southern Montana proposed a floor of 80 percent removal, along with a promise that the plant would install special technology that would increase the mercury removal to an undetermined point, possibly 90 percent.
"I hope that Southern Montana is being honest and does what they say they're going to do, but I don't want to tie (our) hands based on their promises," she said. "I'd rather have it in writing."
February, 2006
In writing. Yeah, that would be nice. SME must be tryin' to be environmentally friendly - by saving paper!
The rural electric co-ops making up SME are Beartooth, Fergus, Mid-Yellowstone, Tongue River and Yellowstone Valley electrical cooperatives. They serve 23,000 member-customers.
September, 2004
I thought they served 120,000 members? And if we add 23,000 + 50,000 (that's Gt Falls) we still only get 73,000 so where did 120,000 come from?
For three years now, the leaders of the co-ops and the city of Great Falls have been privately developing a partnership and deciding whether to build their own coal-fired power plant somewhere in central or Eastern Montana.
The power would be produced in Montana and sold at cost to Montanans, Gregori said.
June, 2004
But...
Yellowstone Valley General Manager Terry Holzer said the group is banding together to buy better power for its 100,000 customers.
Lawton was careful to say all Great Falls has agreed to so far is to pay $500 to join the cooperative and pay a fair share of exploring energy options.
October, 2003
So, I guess that means we are a member of SME. We don't need no stinkin' contract!
Oops, customers number changed again! Can't we get that dang number to stop doing that?
But don't worry now. These people know what they are talking about. We can trust them to do the right thing with out taxpayer dollars. They are our friends, our leaders, they do not need contracts and things of that nature. They are obviously smart, trustworthy, honest, loyal....
Note the dates on those articles. Then think about other things you have read about this. Are we being bamboozled?
February, 2007
That's a lot of people. No worries, those 120,000 people all want this plant, Right?
Gregori admits that carbon emissions were not at the forefront of discussions four years ago when the project started, but as concern over global climate change heats up, so does the pressure to curb carbon emissions — a greenhouse gas which scientists believes contributes to global warming.
February, 2007
Er, carbon? Emissions? We didn't hear nothin' bout no emissions four years ago. What's global warming? Anybody?
Ms. Coleen Balzarini, the City of Great Falls Fiscal Services Director and the Executive Director of Electric City Power said on this very issue: During the last legislative session, the City did request a change in law to allow us to serve residential customers within the City limits. The legislature opted to not approve that request. The City is considering making a similar request this session, but has not made a final decision to do so, and has no guarantee that even if the request is made, that it will be granted.
December 2006
But, but....
The city of Great Falls also hopes to use its share of the power to serve its 50,000 residents through a nonprofit municipal power authority.
March, 2006
State law has no mercury emission standards for coal-fired power plants. But two other plants' owners have agreed to mercury standards, setting a potential precedent for state regulators.
Hedges said her group broke off the talks because Southern Montana would not agree to language essentially forcing it to work toward 90 percent removal of mercury in the coal-burning process. A new coal-fired plant at Hardin and a proposed plant near Roundup have agreed to similar standards, she said. "We said there's no agreement unless (Southern Montana) does what other facilities have been willing to do," Hedges said. Gregori said Southern Montana proposed a floor of 80 percent removal, along with a promise that the plant would install special technology that would increase the mercury removal to an undetermined point, possibly 90 percent.
"I hope that Southern Montana is being honest and does what they say they're going to do, but I don't want to tie (our) hands based on their promises," she said. "I'd rather have it in writing."
February, 2006
In writing. Yeah, that would be nice. SME must be tryin' to be environmentally friendly - by saving paper!
The rural electric co-ops making up SME are Beartooth, Fergus, Mid-Yellowstone, Tongue River and Yellowstone Valley electrical cooperatives. They serve 23,000 member-customers.
September, 2004
I thought they served 120,000 members? And if we add 23,000 + 50,000 (that's Gt Falls) we still only get 73,000 so where did 120,000 come from?
For three years now, the leaders of the co-ops and the city of Great Falls have been privately developing a partnership and deciding whether to build their own coal-fired power plant somewhere in central or Eastern Montana.
The power would be produced in Montana and sold at cost to Montanans, Gregori said.
June, 2004
But...
Yellowstone Valley General Manager Terry Holzer said the group is banding together to buy better power for its 100,000 customers.
Lawton was careful to say all Great Falls has agreed to so far is to pay $500 to join the cooperative and pay a fair share of exploring energy options.
October, 2003
So, I guess that means we are a member of SME. We don't need no stinkin' contract!
Oops, customers number changed again! Can't we get that dang number to stop doing that?
But don't worry now. These people know what they are talking about. We can trust them to do the right thing with out taxpayer dollars. They are our friends, our leaders, they do not need contracts and things of that nature. They are obviously smart, trustworthy, honest, loyal....
Note the dates on those articles. Then think about other things you have read about this. Are we being bamboozled?
posted by a-fire-fly at 9:03 PM
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