skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Post-presidential debate poll shows a shift in WI; Teamsters won't endorse in presidential race after releasing internal polling showing most members support Trump; IL energy jobs growth is strong but lacks female workers; Pregnant, Black Coloradans twice as likely to die than the overall population.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The Teamsters choose not to endorse a presidential candidate, county officials in Texas fight back against state moves to limit voter registration efforts, and the FBI investigate suspicious packages sent to elections offices in at least 17 states.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

A Roadblock for for Big Stone II?

play audio
Play

Tuesday, May 13, 2008   

St. Paul, MN – The fate of a proposed South Dakota coal plant that would send energy to Minnesota is now in the hands of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission - and the odds may have changed, with a surprise recommendation by an administrative law judge panel.

The panel found Big Stone Two should not be allowed to build power transmission lines in western Minnesota. Michael Noble, executive director of Fresh Energy, is among those who testified against the project.

"There's no economic sense, there's no environmental sense and there's no consumer protection sense in building costly coal plants that just pollute more and cost more."

The panel of judges said that supporters of the proposed plant were unable to prove that renewable sources and energy efficiency wouldn't be sufficient to meet the region's demand for electricity. The five Midwest energy companies backing the new plant have said rejecting the proposal will mean high electricity prices for consumers.

The final decision is up to the Public Utilities Commission, and hearings begin early next month. The PUC doesn't have to accept the judges' recommendations, but Noble predicts it probably will.

"It's a very strong decision, and it would be almost impossible now for the commission to approve the new coal plant, after the judge reviewed years of testimony and hundreds of pages of evidence. All of the evidence now shows that energy efficiency and renewable energy are better for consumers."

Big Stone Two would be located near Milbank, South Dakota, and serve a million people. The transmission lines that would bring the power into Minnesota would run to Granite Falls and Willmar.



get more stories like this via email

more stories
Recipients of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Grant can now access funding to drive financing for thousands of climate-focused and clean energy initiatives. (bilanol/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Michigan's most vulnerable communities are receiving federal funding to fight the devastating effects of climate change. It's part of the $27 billion …


Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Health Literacy Month, and a Denver-based group is working to help health professionals break a persistent pattern of discrimination …

Environment

play sound

A new report contends fossil fuel funding has biased Columbia University's climate research. The report, by two Columbia students, shows the …


Alabama releases roughly 220,279 men and 78,247 women from its prisons and jails each year. (Chad Robertson/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

An Alabama woman is on a mission to help people who've been incarcerated for decades successfully transition back into society. The mission to …

Health and Wellness

play sound

In North Carolina, the gap between Medicaid reimbursement rates and the actual cost of dental care has reached a crisis point, impacting both …

So far in 2024, community health centers in North Dakota have screened 11,580 patients for food insecurity. Through those screenings, more than three thousand box meals have been distributed. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

September is Hunger Action Month. In North Dakota, it isn't just food banks trying to help underserved populations get nutritious items. Health …

Environment

play sound

Marine biologists conducting deep dives near five California islands are collecting data they hope will strengthen the case for ending gillnet fishing…

Social Issues

play sound

Like polling from other battleground states, the race for the White House remains close in Wisconsin. But fresh numbers out this week show some …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021