Category Archives: Sterling Planet

Industrial Authority has to be congratulated —Michael G. Noll

Received yesterday on

WCTV on biomass site VLCIA v. Sterling Planet. -jsq

Wiregrass Activists for Clean Energy (WACE) have made it clear from


the start that biomass plants have a number of issues: 1) biomass
plants bear significant health risks; 2) biomass plants waste
enormous amounts of water; 3) biomass plants are risky investments
in an increasingly competitive energy sector; and 4) biomass plants
contribute to global warming.

In the light of rising global temperatures, worsening drought
conditions, and dropping prices for solar panels, an increasing
number of people are understanding these simple truths.

The Industrial Authority has to be congratulated for the courage to
admit that energy from biomass plants is indeed more expensive than
energy from solar plants, and we have not even figured in the costs
associated with the consequences of air pollution coming from
biomass plants.

(For more information on biomass plants, here a testimony I recently
gave:

http://www.bredl.org/pdf3/120828_WACE-Comments-Docket_NO-E-100_SUB113.pdf)

Although this point has already been made earlier, note again that
solar plants are much better alternatives, economically and
environmentally: they do not pollute our air, they do not need any
water, and a huge spill of solar energy is simply called a sunny day
… of which we have plenty here in the south.

-Michael G. Noll

-jsq

 

WCTV on biomass site VLCIA v. Sterling Planet


Greg Gullberg
WCTV does what VDT dares not:
Greg Gullberg mentioned last year’s biomass protests in the first sentence of this
story about the Industrial Authority threatening to sue Sterling Planet

to get clear title to the former proposed biomass plant site.

Greg Gullberg reported for WCTV yesterday,

Dispute Over Land For Proposed Biomass Plant,


Gullberg and Ricketts

The vocal protests in Valdosta are long gone, but the controversy
over the proposed Biomass plant lingers. This time not for concerns
of health safety, but over the land.

The Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority plans to sue
Wiregrass Power LLC to end its contract.


Protesters at City Hall

Ban the Burn Go 100% Solar

Ban the Burn Go 100% Solar.

The proposed Biomass Plant was supposed to be a low-cost source of
efficient energy. Supporters say it would have created hundreds of
jobs. But opponents say the health risks include cancer, lung
disease and respiratory disease.


750,000 gallons of water each day

Biomass site plan

750,000 gallons of water each day

Tell me, Col. Ricketts, doesn’t it feel better to be visibly on the side
of the people, instead of having to defend a bad business deal?

Continue reading →

VLCIA to sue Sterling Power about biomass site?

I’d heard a rumor that some sort of lawsuit about the biomass site
was the subject of some of the Industrial Authority executive
sessions for real estate discussions.
VLCIA has finally said in public what their position is.

Jason Schaefer wrote for the VDT today,

Authority weighs suit for biomass land:
Slow progress leads to default, contract argument



The Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority plans to send a
petition to Lowndes County Superior Court to sue Wiregrass Power,
LLC, for a clear title on the land purchased for the development of
a biomass energy plant.

The Authority believes Wiregrass defaulted on a lease agreement to
build the plant, placing ownership of the 22.22-acre tract back in
their hands, but Wiregrass denies the allegations. This denial casts
“a cloud” of suspicion on the Authority that may prevent
it from re-marketing the property, according to the petition,
leading to the suit.

Sounds like they’re publicizing their intent
to try to scare Sterling off without having to sue.
I’m for that.

This may explain

a flurry of special called meetings they had in May and June 2011.

Continue reading →

The lawyers are in charge at VLCIA —Roy Copeland

Thanks, Roy, for clarifying that:



“It’s forthcoming. I can’t tell you anything because quite frankly,
lawyers have their own schedules. I literally do not know specific
details because I’m not privy to that information as of this moment.”

Well, it’s good to know somebody’s in charge at the Authority.

My mistake in thinking
they just elected you Chairman.

Much more in David Rodock’s story in the VDT today,

Decision still looms for future of once proposed biomass plant site.

-jsq

Dancing Around the Issue —Dr. Noll

Received this morning on

Biomass plant land offer.
-jsq



It is unbelievable that despite all the concerns in our community about
biomass, the Industrial authority is still considering to sell the
land to a company like

Wiregrass Power LLC.
This is the same company
the Industrial Authority once stated



it had no faith in anymore.
This is the same company

that just missed another deadline as stipulated by
their contract. And this is the same company that apparently does not
have the best interest of our community in mind.

Continue reading →

Many ways Valdosta can stop biomass

VDT says Only city can stop biomass.
Well, maybe not only, but they could, by some of the things VDT suggested.



There are other things Valdosta could do, such as what the VSU
Faculty Senate did:

pass a resolution opposing biomass.
Remember,

the mayor of Gretna, Florida did that.
If little old Gretna can do it, TitleTown USA can do it!

The Valdosta City Council could also hold an ethics investigation
of their own appointees to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority,
on the topic of why those appointees are in favor of a project with
demonstrated health hazards to the community.

Short of that, Valdosta could demand transparency from VLCIA:

Continue reading →

Lowndes County could stop biomass plant

VDT is not quite right when it says Only city can stop biomass. The Lowndes County Commission could do it.

According to Ashley Paulk, a few months ago VLCIA approached the Lowndes County government, asking them to ask VLCIA not to extend Sterling Planet’s contract for the biomass plant. Chairman Paulk refused to accept that hot potato and instead laudably told the community what was going on. Yet there was a bit of a good idea in what VLCIA was asking. Lowndes County could pass an ordinance such as VDT is suggesting banning the incineration of human feces.

Remember, Lowndes County rezoned the land for the plant. It’s time to review that rezoning to see if in light of new information it should be rescinded. According to the VDT, Wiregrass Power LLC supplied a fake timeline, so it wuld not be interesting to know what else they said wasn’t true?

For that matter, wasn’t the rezoning to build a certain biomass plant according to a certain plan which has no expired? Maybe the rezoning is already null and void and the Commission just needs to declare it so.

Short of that, the Lowndes County Commission could demand transparency from VLCIA:

Continue reading →

Only city can stop biomass —VDT

VLCIA has once again passed the buck on biomass, and the Valdosta City Council
could pick it up and finally deal with it.

VDT editorial yesterday:
after the



In a recent Valdosta council meeting, longtime councilman Sonny Vickers
asked if there was any way to put the biomass issue to rest once and for
all. The good news, Councilman Vickers, is that there is and it’s all
in the city’s hands.

The Industrial Authority signed an agreement with Wiregrass Power LLC
which allows the company to purchase the land from the Authority and
proceed with the project on its own. Although the Authority hasn’t
yet voted on the issue, it appears that they don’t have a choice and
may be compelled to honor the agreement.

Compelled? Give me a break!
VLCIA has an attorney, and one of its board members is an attorney.
If they can’t find a way to break a land purchase contract because
conditions have changed, they need new legal counsel.

Why didn’t they discuss that in

their yet another special called meeting Thursday morning,
in which they apparently discussed that
offer from Sterling Planet to buy the proposed biomass plant site?

VDT continued:

And once the land is purchased,
as long as the company complies with existing zoning laws, there is not
a way to prevent the plant from being built.

Oh, but there is.

Continue reading →

Biomass plant land offer: Industrial Authority board meets this morning

A usually reliable source tells me that this morning at 8AM
VLCIA will hold a special called board meeting to consider
a specific dollar offer from Sterling Planet for the site
of the proposed biomass plant.


I see nothing in the public notices online.
The Industrial Authority’s

own online calendar has today marked,
although it doesn’t say for what.
The VDT’s online calendar

does have it listed:

Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority Special Called Meeting

When Friday
Jul. 8, 2011
8:00 AM
Description Purpose of meeting is to discus real estate. Call 259-9972.
Where Authority Offices

2110 N. Patterson St.

Valdosta, GA

The VDT calendar doesn’t say what real estate, but the source
has usually been correct before.
Since it’s about real estate they’ll probably go directly into executive
session, which means the public can’t attend that part.
However, public can attend the public street outside.

VLCIA Chairman Jerry Jennett

previously said:

Continue reading →

San Antonio promises to shut down a coal plant

We could do something like this.
We’ve already made a start with Wiregrass Solar.


San Antonio, the Clean-Energy City?
Look out Austin, SA Mayor Julian Castro promises to shut-down a coal plant by 2018.



At an event this afternoon at UT-San Antonio, Mayor Julian Castro
announced a suite of green energy projects that he said would position
San Antonio as the nation’s “recognized leader in clean energy technology”
and help fulfill his aggressive environmental goals.

Most notably, Castro and leaders from CPS Energy, the city-owned utility,
pledged to shut down one of its coal-fired power plants 15 years ahead
of schedule. By 2018, the city would mothball the 871-megawatt J.T. Deely
Power Plant — a bold move in a growing state that’s seemingly addicted
to coal.

So what are they going to use for energy?

Continue reading →