Energy
Priming the News Pump–Choose Your Topic
December 27, 2011 
With many of our readers gone and much of the legacy media not reporting any news, we are left to fend for ourselves with some “make news” topics of discussion.
The GUARDIAN has been reporting from Hawaii the past week where we shared top visitor billing with the Obama family, hence little in the way of new topics to discuss. We photographed the guy at the right, but all he wanted to talk about was insurance!
–We met people from Utah State who not only didn’t visit the Famous Potato Bowl, but didn’t think much of it.
–We met lots of BSU supporters, watched the “Body Shop Bowl,” in Vegas and again not much good was voiced. It appears the plethora of college bowls is self destructing. Even the Hawaii Bowl was played to a nearly empty house.
–There is a lot of action in the field of waste-to-energy projects in Ada, Kootenai, Clark, Freemont, and Bonneville counties and from our standpoint it looks like various government credits are the driving force rather than electricity generation.
–The hang glider folks will probably get “grandfathered into using Hammer Flat if they play nice with Idaho Fish and Game. The best flight path right now is to give Director Virgil Moore a way to ALLOW recreational use of the land rather than bombing him into submission.
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Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Dec 27, 2011, 10:52 pm
Hi Dave, I wonder if you readers are tuned into the Dynamis project at the Ada landfill? I just read the feasibility study for the Dynamis project in Clark County and a good portion of the waste going into that facility is worn out Tires.
Air quality in this valley is not getting better and the thought of burning tires is of concern to me. I know the DEQ will mandate pollution levels to be at or below a certain standard but adding to poor air doesn’t make sense.
The Ada landfill is projected to last another hundred years or so.
Also, the reimbursement from Idaho Power will be an average of $92.35 per Mwh. Rate payers will get stuck with the bill if approved by the PUC. Power on the wholesale market is now between $27-$30 per Mwh.
Dec 28, 2011, 1:07 am
You must of missed the new private/public study in the works. Boise, Opera Idaho and others are looking into a new event center. Another stab at funding private enterprise with tax dollars.
Dec 28, 2011, 10:57 am
Dynamis Energy LLC has made presentations to Nampa, Caldwell Boise and Meridian promoting their unique method of burning diapers and Depends to generate electricity. Price quoted above $92.35 is far higher than other energy contracts recently negotiated including the Hidden Hollow gas to electricity contracts already in existence.
Dave do you have any information on who we can comment to for these outragous prices being negotiated behind closed doors and lack of public involvement?
EDITOR NOTE–You can start here at Idaho PUC. They are pretty good about accepting written testimony. We agree the rate is very high and it appears this is an insider deal to get various incentives and credits for both parties at the expense of Ada taxpayers and Idaho Power customers. The Dynamis deal is shaky at best and probably won’t work for investors unless they get the high rate for the power. http://www.puc.idaho.gov/forms/ipuc1/ipuc.html
Dec 28, 2011, 2:37 pm
Sounds like someone who still struggles to understand basic physics and economics has been dazzled by an effective sales pitch? Or a money angle? Is there grant money to play with or something like this?
If this was a good idea the commissioners would be up front about it, proud of it. We know they are here reading this. The silence is telling, as is the intent to throw money into the fire.
Dave, which part can’t we see yet?
PS: This comment is about the furnace to be installed at our landfill and burn tires trucked in from Portland, OR. However, the comment can also apply to most of what the commission does.
EDITOR NOTE–We took a look at the proposed Dynamis-Idaho Power agreement and there is a provision to “share” any credits, incentives, etc. connected with the project. As we have written in the past, these projects sound economical, “green” and logical, but more often than not they hinge on a preconceived rate for sale of the power, financing, incentives, amount of product to be burned. Call it anything you wish, but “gasification” is truly “burning.”
Dec 28, 2011, 4:41 pm
Here’s another one for your consideration. A passel of bills was sent from the House of Reps. to the US Senate that will make all 700 Mhz 911 dispatch systems obsolete. The Feds want to auction off the bandwidth to the highest bidder and will move 911 dispatch systems to a smaller and lower band.
These systems cost millions and if the Senate passed this bill the life of 700 Mhz dispatch systems will be much shorter.
Dec 29, 2011, 8:57 am
Did some checking on the Dynamis –Idaho Power deal. Case No. is IPC-11-E-25 There is a handy link at bottom of IPUC page where you can click and comment. At bottom of your comment form you can ask to be included in any action regarding this case. Already a couple of interesting comment on file
Dec 30, 2011, 1:14 am
Is this true, or is someone hoping for a new APC for Christmas?
http://www.ktvb.com/news/Boise-gangs-getting-more-violent-136414448.html
Dec 30, 2011, 11:44 am
Looks like Ratepayers could be getting stuck by Idaho Power again. A coal power plant is being shutdown in 2020 and somehow Idaho Power needs to make up those losses now. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505245_162-57350198/idaho-power-prepares-for-coal-plant-shutdown/
EDITOR NOTE–True enough. Also at PUC it looks like Idaho Power is about to flip the switch to cut off power to HOKU, the solar darling of Pocatello.