Author Archives: admin

HB 267 Financing costs; construction of nuclear generating plant






As promised,

a bipartisan bill was filed Thursday to stop Georgia Power from
charging for nuclear cost overruns on Plant Vogtle; this could free up some financing for Georgia to move ahead on solar and wind power.


2013-2014 Regular Session – HB 267
Financing costs; construction of nuclear generating plant; change calculation that utility can recover from customers
,

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 46-2-25 of the
Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the procedure for
changing any rate, charge, classification, or service and the
recovery of financing costs, so as to change the calculation used
under certain circumstances to determine the costs of financing
associated with the construction of a nuclear generating plant that
a utility may recover from its customers; to provide for related
matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws;
and for other purposes.

The bill would add this text to Georgia Code:

…provided, however, that in the event the amounts recorded in the
utility’s construction work in progress accounts plus the amount of
all financing costs accrued on any construction work in progress
accounts exceeds the costs approved by the commission in the
original certificate of the nuclear generating plant granted under
Code Section 46-3A-5, the cost of equity portion of the financing
costs shall be calculated using a rate no higher than the utility’s
actual cost of debt.

Let’s see what Georgia Power does to fight this one.
So far, it’s

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Hotchkiss Landing Road Closing, 3 rezonings, 3 contracts @ LCC 2013-02-11

Monday morning and voting Tuesday evening at the Lowndes County Commission,
three rezonings, three contracts, and the proposed closing of


the part of Old State Road leading to Hotchkiss Landing on the Alapaha River,
with all its complications
such as

why did Code Enforcement do nothing about that road being blocked for many months?

And why was there

no public hearing sign on the road

until (I hear) it suddenly appeared late yesterday?

Here’s

the agenda.
-jsq

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

PROPOSED AGENDA

WORK SESSION, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2013, 8:30 a.m.

REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013, 5:30 p.m.

327 N. Ashley Street — 2nd Floor

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Why did Lowndes County do nothing about a blocked public road?

Old State Road at the Alapaha River is a county-maintained public road.
How could Lowndes County not have known that it was

blocked by two huge blocks of concrete


Seen by google earth 2012-01-24

at Hotchkiss Landing from late 2010 through at least early 2012?
Why did Code Enforcement do nothing about it?

These blocks of concrete have to be quite heavy.
This is not random litter, and no partier or hunter or 4-wheeler would
have any motivation to block the road, much less with blocks this size.
Who would?
Why didn’t the county find out and do something about it?

-jsq

About that flyer

Sent Wednesday. -jsq



Date: Wed, 06 Feb 2013 19:43:49 -0500

Dear Mr. Pritchard,

Thank you for

your message of 1 February
.

Yes, the binders of the documents for the closings of the various
bonds are the sort of financial instruments I requested in

my message of 28 January
, and that Chairman Slaughter listed in

his letter dated 18 January

(that I received 28 January). Monday 11 Feb
2013 after the Work Session will be a good time for me to inspect
and copy those binders. I will bring a camera and a photocopier. If
that time will not work, please advise me of times that would.

Yes, there are other documents I would like to inspect. Please provide

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Members of the press or citizens are not welcome at library board? —George Boston Rhynes

Received today.
To quote

a VDT editorial of 3 March 2012
:

When officials act like they have something to hide, they often do….

Here’s George’s Open Records Request.
-jsq


George Boston Rhynes

February 7, 2013

George Boston Rhynes (229-251-8645)

5004 Oak Drive

Valdosta, Georgia 31605

TO: Valdosta-Lowndes County; South Georgia Regional Library
Director/Chair person along with Board Members Respectively, Georgia
News Media Outlets concerned about open government and the sunshine
brightness…

SUBJECT: An open records request on behalf of the general public
right to know…

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Public Notice for public hearing on abandoning part of Old State Road leading to the Alapaha River

Why is there no sign on Old State Road

about the proposed abandonment of the part leading to the Alapaha River

like there was in 2010?
There’s a clue in the letter of the law Lowndes County is citing.


NOTICE OF PROPOSED ROAD ABANDONMENT TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED

NOTICE OF PROPOSED

ROAD ABANDONMENT

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that pursuant to O.C.G.A. 32-7-2(b)(1) the

Parcel 0259 030A

Lowndes County Board of Commissioners has determined that a section
of Old State Road (CR # 16) has ceased to be used by the public to
the extent that no substantial purpose is served or by it that its
removal from the county road system is otherwise in the best public
interest. The section of Old State Road that is proposed for
abandonment lies .85 miles to the east of Good Hope Road (CR # 126)
and travels approximately .17 miles before termination at the
Alapaha River.

YOU ARE ALSO HEREBY NOTIFIED that pursuant to said Code section the

2009: canoeists taking out at that road

Lowndes County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing for
the purpose of determining whether to declare the subject section of
the subject road abandoned. The public hearing will be at 5:30 P.M.
on February 12, 2013, at the Lowndes County Administration Building
located at 327 North Ashley Street, Valdosta, Georgia.

Any citizen of Lowndes County or any person wherever residing may be
heard by the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners during the
aforesaid public hearing.


County Manager, Joseph D. Pritchard

This 28th day of January, 2013.

Joseph D. Pritchard

County Manager

Lowndes County, Georgia

00046658

2/1,8/13

Note that last part:

“or any person wherever residing may be heard by the
Lowndes County Board of Commissioners during the aforesaid public hearing.”

That means you do not have to be a citizen or resident or taxpayer
of Lowndes County to speak at this public hearing.

There’s no public hearing sign on the affected portion of that road.
Why is that?
Here’s

O.C.G.A. 32-7-2(b)(1)
:

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Bill against Vogtle nuke overruns to be filed Thursday

It’s about time. -jsq

Jeanne Bonner wrote for GPB today

Vogtle Cost Overruns Targeted
,

A state
lawmaker wants to prevent Georgia Power from reaping profits on cost
overruns at Plant Vogtle. Rep. Jeff Chapman will file a bill
Thursday that would bar the utility from making money on anything
other than the certified cost of the nuclear power plant it’s
building in eastern Georgia.



Chapman said before writing the bill, he sent a letter to Georgia
Power, asking the company to forego the profits.

He said he hasn’t had a response.

Under a 2009 bill, the company can collect in advance the financing
costs for the two reactors it’s building near Augusta.

Chapman, a Brunswick Republican, says he supports the project. But

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Forest Bioenergy Conference —GFA

Seen Monday.
Seems to me that instead of burning trees
tree farmers should start growing solar farms
on some of their less useful land.


Forest Bioenergy Conference —GFA



Deadline for early registration is Sunday, February 10…
register
today to save money!

It’s 21 February 2013 in Forsyth.

Interest in forest biomass as a potential feedstock for renewable
energy facilities has been especially keen for the past several
years and much of the activity has been centered in Georgia. GFA and
UGA are excited about hosting our fourth biennial conference to
examine where we are with forest bioenergy development in Georgia
and where we may be going in the near future. While many issues are
becoming clearer, much uncertainty remains with regard to government
policy and market prices for fossil fuels. This conference is an
excellent opportunity to hear from some of the players on the front
lines of developing markets, influencing government policies, and
conducting research on how these changes may impact our wood supply
system.

These are some of the topics that will be addressed during this
conference by many of the people directly involved with these
changes that are taking place in our state. Join us and stay abreast
of these significant changes taking place in our forest industry.

The talk I think they should pay attention to is:

What does Low-Cost Natural Gas Mean for Future Biomass Use?

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Petition the Commission: Keep County Road 16 leading to the Alapaha River open to public access

Seen Monday. -jsq


Lowndes County Commission: Keep County Road 16 leading to the Alapaha River open to public access.



Petition by

April Huntley

This access to the Alapaha River is the only remaining public access
within Lowndes County. It has great historical significance to the
Naylor community. It continues to be used by boaters, fishermen and
families for recreation.



To:

Lowndes County Commission

Keep County Road 16 leading to the Alapaha River open to public access.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

The Commission

decided 26 October 2010 to keep that road open



but because they think they have new information

have scheduled it for another public hearing and vote

apparently at their next Regular Session,
which is next Tuesday, 12 February 2013.

-jsq

Nuclear Power Is Not the Answer —Sierra Club



Sierra Club, one of the oldest, largest, and most influential
grassroots environmental activist groups in the U.S.,
has been

tentatively anti-nuke since 1974
,
observing now that none of its conditions of
energy conservation, reactor safety, nuclear fuel disposal,
weapons proliferation,
or adequate regulation have ever been met,
has come out unequivocably against nuclear power.


Nuclear Power Is Not the Answer

The Sierra Club remains unequivocally opposed to nuclear energy.
Although nuclear plants have been in operation for less than 60
years, we now have seen three serious disasters.


Tragically, it took a horrific disaster in Japan to remind the world
that none of the fundamental problems with nuclear power have ever
been addressed.

Besides reactor safety, both nuclear proliferation and the required
long-term storage of nuclear waste (which remains lethal for more
than 100,000 years) make nuclear power a uniquely dangerous energy
technology for humanity.

Plenty of links in

that Sierra Club page.

Sierra Club is one of the first two of the 99 sponsors of

the Forward on Climate rally
,
high noon Sunday 17 February 2013 on the National Mall in Washington D.C.
I’ll be there.
How about you?

-jsq