Coleman, Dayton in spotlight as energy bill moves forward

[salin]

http://www.startribune.com/stories/587/4126643.html

Coleman, Dayton in spotlight as energy bill moves forward

Rob Hotakainen, Star Tribune Washington Bureau Correspondent

Published September 30, 2003 ENER30

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Hoyt Lakes Mayor Marlene Pospeck says she's a pragmatist, and her main concern is jobs.

She likes the fact that Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., is willing to vote to allow oil drilling in the Alaska wilderness if it means getting $800 million in federal loan guarantees to build a power plant on the Iron Range. She thinks Sen. Mark Dayton, D-Minn., should be willing to make the same tradeoff, if necessary.

"He's going to have to do some soul searching," she said.

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Dayton hopes it won't work out that way.

"I'm willing to search my soul anytime the occasion requires me to do so, and we have not reached that point yet," Dayton said. "We'll wait until that time comes."

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Scott Elkins, state director of the Northstar chapter of the Sierra Club, said the $800 million represents "a very substantial bribe" to Coleman.

"That's the way politics works, but Senator Coleman made a campaign promise to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge," Elkins said. "It takes a lot to get a senator to break a promise, I suppose, but we would like to see him stick to that."

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[truthisfreedom]

1. "He's going to have to do some soul-selling," she said.

that's what she really said.

[GAspnes]

2. It is much worse than that....

Excelsior Energy is a business proposal to build a coal-fired power plant in a depressed area of Minnesota. So far, so good. But one of the partners, Tom Micheletti, wants (a) the Feds to raise his financing, so it's a no-risk proposition (that's the $800 million in loan guarantees), and (b) the state lege to *require* Xcel Energy to buy power from him once the plant is built.

This has far less to do with ANWR and unemployment on The Range than it does with Yet Another Sweetheart Energy Deal (YASED) for a businessman.

I always thought deregulation meant the market would take care of these sorts of needs, but apparently Micheletti wants you and me to pay him if his 'business proposition' doesn't pan out.

[Avis]

3. Thanks

for the explaination - Hopefully Sen. Dayton can get this expalined to people up here in N. MN.., before that slick Norm gets to them.