Xcel meets with citizens on AWA Goodhue project

T. Boone Pickens’ AWA Goodhue wind project negotiated a 20 year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Xcel, Minnesota’s largest electrical utility. After relentless pleas by local citizens, Xcel has agreed to send Jim Alders and Rick Evans to meet with citizens about what is now considered one of the most controversial wind energy projects in the nation. Representatives of AWA Goodhue have demonstrated an ongoing pattern of misrepresentation, distortion and outright lies on almost all aspects of the project. Citizens are eager to hear from Xcel what their plans are for a wind project that apparently intends to be in violation of the federal Migratory Bird Treaty and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.

The project was also granted Community Based Energy Development (C-BED) status by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) in April 2010. Since the project is owned 100% by Texas billionaire T. Boone Pickens and 0% by Minnesotans, AWA Goodhue also appears to fail C-BED law requirements. The MPUC granted the PPA with Xcel with the highest electrical rate for any wind project ever approved in Minnesota. AWA Goodhue’s Cole Robertson testified at the March 2011 contested case hearing in front of ALJ Kathleen Sheehy, that the PPA requires production by December 31, 2011.

Robertson testified that failure to meet the deadline could subject AWA Goodhue to liquidated damages and that Xcel could opt out of their PPA. Since Pickens has not yet broken ground, there is no chance of electrical production in three days. Federal and Minnesota wind energy laws were formulated by faux environmental lobbyists and crony capitalists, including T. Boone Pickens. Not invited nor represented were citizens who pay the taxes and electrical bills and bear the burden of the resulting turbines and electrical transmission lines. We’ll report on ‘Xcel meets the citizens of Goodhue County’ tomorrow on this blog.