Remember "shovel-ready projects."
Those were construction projects in the 2009 stimulus bill that were supposed to get moving right away -- but jobs council members told Obama today that some got held up because of elaborate government regulations and permitting procedures.
"Shovel-ready was not as shovel-ready as we expected," Obama said. [I've blogged about this often; one example.]
In both the jobs council meeting and in his speech later to employees at a Durham lighting company, Obama said regulatory change is a major part of his new jobs push.
Local story.
RAPID CITY, S.D., June 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Black Hills Corp. (NYSE:BKH - News) utility subsidiary Black Hills Power indicated today that it will not proceed with a previously announced 20 megawatt wind farm near Belle Fourche, S.D., after the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission's recent decision to dismiss the utility's request for a declaratory ruling. Black Hills Power had requested commission confirmation that the proposed $38 million project was reasonable and cost effective considering other electricity alternatives and would be an appropriate generation resource addition to meet the energy needs of the utility's customers.
"Black Hills Power had a unique opportunity to use time-sensitive cost savings, including federal tax credits set to expire at the end of 2012, to reduce the cost of providing renewable generation for our customers and to support South Dakota's renewable energy objective," said Chuck Loomis, vice president of operations, Black Hills Power. "We moved quickly and efficiently to determine the most cost-effective renewable resource for our customers and to locate land with sufficient wind resources near our service territory to take advantage of that opportunity. With the commission's dismissal of our request for a declaratory ruling, we had to make a timely decision based on what is best for our customers and our shareholders. We determined it was best to discontinue the project."
As "anonymous" said on an earlier post: "Anyone can make a speech."
ReplyDeleteThought you might enjoy a couple of links:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/there-will-be-bucks-in-the-town-that-struck-black-gold-2296769.html
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304432304576369140191493636.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
In the NH debate tonight, Mitt Romney said he opposes eminent domain for private companies.
ReplyDeleteOf course, you can build a pipeline from WB to Houston if every single landowner sells an easement. But, they won't.
That leads to these choices:
1. Nationalize all utilities, pipeline companies, etc. so they aren't private, or
2. Shut down civilization.
No pipelines from Williston Basin to refineries.
No NG pipelines.
No NGL pipelines.
No electric transmission lines.
Shut down the Williston Basin oil fields.
Shut down civilization.
Except for existing facilities.
Will anyone notice the implications of what Mitt said? How long will it take him to flip?
Someone once said Mitt was smart. Nope.
Anon 1
Wow, that's incredible. I assume it has to do with shopping mall developers moving in on blighted neighborhoods, but a blanket statement like that is crazy.
ReplyDeleteTransmission lines for wind farms will also be a casualty, thus killing wind energy.
It would have been so easy for Romney to say govt needs to protect individual citizen's rights but in some cases national interest takes precedence, and not go into details.
In the big scheme of things, I'm not worried. The EPA is a much bigger concern.
It stems from NIMBY objections to a HydroQuebec transmission line.
ReplyDeletehttp://hydroforthefuture.com/actualites/115/quebec-new-hampshire-interconnection-project-ferc-issues-favorable-decision-on-transmission-service-agreement
Eminent domain for a shopping mall is absurd. They can build where they have land.
Eminent domain for a long distance electric line is essential, even though most of the easement is negotiated. Someone will refuse to sell.
I don't think Mitt has thought about it, and that he was just pandering. There is a vocal group in NH who care about this.
Anon 1
Great comment, thanks. Romney was clearly pandering, because as a former governor, he knows that eminent domain in some situations is absolutely necessary.
ReplyDeleteThe Eisenhower interstate system was possible only through eminent domain.
Even with shopping malls, it's not always so clear cut. There is a vested state interest in taxes that can be generated from property. Very little revenue is generated by a blighted neighborhood vs a shopping mall. If one doesn't like shopping malls, then low-cost housing that is maintained in good condition for the poor is also better for all than a blighted neighborhood where one individual refuses to move.
With regard to the links in the comments up above, I have posted one link as a stand-alone post. It's quite story from the British (London) Independent. Highly recommend you copy and paste the URL into your browser and read the story.
ReplyDelete