Update 2013-07-08: Changed to a google+ page
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Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange
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All LAKE blog posts are automatically posted to g+.
(They’re automatically posted to LAKE’s
facebook page, too.)
-jsq
Georgia Power’s Plant Arkwright site still unused 11 years later
What’s happened to Georgia Power’s close-in-2002 Coal Plant Arkwright that Putnam County Manager Paul Van Houte used as a bad example?
According to
Georgia Power’s own online history:
In 2002, the company retired 11 generating units at three sites including all of the units at Plant Atkinson and Plant Arkwright and two units at Plant Mitchell.
Southern Company has online a press release from 15 May 2002: Continue reading
Putnam County Manager wants solar to replace coal @ GA PSC 2013-06-18
Putnam County sent a delegation to
the Georgia Public Service Commission meeting Tuesday 18 June 2013.
You’ve already seen
Rep. Rusty Kidd; next up was the Putnam County manager.
County Manager Paul Van Haute said $175,000 in SPLOST money from Putnam County
Unfortunately we had budgeted $275,000, so we’re about $100,000 a year short based on our estimates. That is directly attributable to the loss of coal sales from Plant Branch. Also on top of that we’re losing about $950,000 to $980,000 of property tax. That is about one seventh of our property tax receipts. This is a very big impact to the community.
About then he was interrupted by Chairman Chuck Eaton, who asked: Continue reading
Hahira Third Thursday and Village Market today
Today is the first
Hahira Southern Village Market Day,
Vendors, food, and live music, 5-8PM!
This happens every Third Thursday in downtown Hahira.
If you come in from I-75 or Valdosta, you’ll see these signs:
Continue readingVideos of GA PSC on Georgia Power coal plant closings @ GA PSC 2013-06-18
Videos of the morning part of the 18 June 2013 Georgia Public Service Commission
Administrative Session,
which was mostly about two Georgia Power dockets
on closing coal plants
and future energy,
plus a
telecommunications rules docket.
First they had a lengthy
devotional on Joseph sold into slavery to the Egyptians (Georgia Power
probably didn’t like being referred to in that manner).
There was a sign posted outside the door:
do not enter; devotional in progress.
Chairman Eaton finally started the meeting with Continue reading
Rep. Rusty Kidd urged GA PSC to ask GA Power for solar to replace coal Plant Branch @ GA PSC 2013-06-18
First public witness about the GA Power 2013 IRP at the
the Georgia Public Service Commission meeting Tuesday 18 June 2013.
GA Rep. Rusty Kidd district 145, who argued for more solar power.
Rep. Kidd noted
coal Blant Branch closing
would have substantial economic effect on Putnam County.
He said one of his friends was selling his house on Lake Sinclair
because he knew Putnam County taxes would be going up.
Rep. Kidd urged the Commission to have Georgia Power use
the land of Plant Branch for solar energy.
He also noted that the more coal plants that closed,
the more natural gas would have a monopoly,
and then he expected the price of natural gas to go up.
So he concluded by urging GA PSC to have Georgia Power
put solar power on the Plant Branch property in the near future.
Here’s the video: Continue reading
Telecommunications rules and rates @ GA PSC 2013-06-18
Telecommunications rules and rates were deferred and scheduled at the Georgia Public Service Commission meeting Tuesday 18 June 2013.
First item on the regular agenda was
Docket # 35537
Title: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Promulgate Rules Governing Eligible Telecommunications Carriers 515-12-1-.35
There was lengthy discussion about the database provision and the
$5 minimum charge in those rules.
Commissioner Wise didn’t like the database as proposed and asked
for an indefinite hold until they had a database that was verifiable.
Commissioner Echols asked whether the current proposal would be like
a hold anyway, since it would involve another hearing. Staff said yes.
Commissioner Everett asked Continue reading
GA PSC to require twice as much solar from Georgia Power? @ GA PSC 2013-06-18
Commissioner McDonald wants twice as much solar power from Georgia Power,
while Commissioner Stan Wise asked questions leading to Georgia Power
maybe saying that would cost more, yesterday at the Georgia Public
Service Commission in Atlanta.
Doubling from 271 megawatts planned to more than 500 MW would be good;
at least that’s a start on
catching up to New Jersey’s already-installed 1,000 MW.
Jacksonville.com reported today, Georgia Power tells regulators adding solar generation will cost consumers more: PSC Commissioner Lauren “Bubba” McDonald wants Georgia Power to double solar generation, Continue reading
Tipping fees: no contract, no list of fees, no details of expenses
No copy of the contract for tipping fees from the landfill it privatized some years ago, no list of what those fees were, and no detailed accounting of what they were used for: that was the answer from Lowndes County’s Open Records Officer. She also took more than 3 days to produce this non-information, answering the day after the recent County Commission meeting. Here’s her answer:
From: pdukes@lowndescounty.com
Subject: Open records requests
Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2013 20:42:16 +0000
Good Afternoon,
In response to your open records requests of June 6, 2013, please find the following:
For the contract or agreement addressing tipping fees, you may contact Regional Commission Representative, Julia ShewChuk, at 229-333-5277. Lowndes County is not the custodian of this information. You many find fee amounts in Lowndes Countys Comprehensive Annual Reports located on the countys website, www.lowndescounty.com. To access these reports, go to the Government tab at the top of the homepage, then County Manager, then Finance, then Financial Reports. Fees are located on page 38 for 2008, page 38 for 2009, page 38 for 2010, page 39 for 2011 and page 36 for 2012.
To be clear, Continue reading
Nine projects in the pipeline @ VLCIA 2013-06-18
Content two months running
in VLCIA agendas!
And the potential project list is up from six to nine.
Here’s the agenda:
Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial AuthorityContinue reading
Agenda, Tuesday June 18, 2013 5:30 p.m.
Industrial Authority Conference Room
2110 N. Patterson Street