The Less Discussed Part of Walker’s Wisconsin Plan: No-Bid Energy Assets Firesales.

Rortybomb ^ | 2/21/2011 | Rorty

[aquila48]

The fight in Wisconsin is over Governor Walker’s 144-page Budget Repair Bill. The parts everyone is focusing on have to do with the right to collectively bargain being stripped from public sector unions (except for the unions that supported Walker running for Governor). Focusing on this misses a large part of what the bill would do.... The bill would allow for the selling of state-owned heating/cooling/power plants without bids and without concern for the legally-defined public interest.

[aquila48]

“Well, if it’s so bad, the DEMOCRATS can come back to Madistan and argue their case.”

I agree. Maybe they haven’t read the bill - they have a habit of doing that. It definitely has not been on their front burner.

[bruinbirdman]

"Notwithstanding ss. 196.49 and 196.80, no approval or certification of the public service commission is necessary for a public utility to purchase, or contract for the operation of, such a plant, and any such purchase is considered to be in the public interest and to comply with the criteria for certification of a project under s. 196.49 (3) (b).

"Does anyone here know why they would want to sell assets without competitive bidding?"

There may be plenty of qualified buyers, but few or none interested. The state may have to seek the only buyer.

As to certification, etc.

The Bureau of Land Management sold my town, Boulder City, Nevada, 200,000 acres of adjoining desert cheap. The stipulation was that it could only be used for recreation, conservation or energy production. Also stipulated in advance was that all EPA requirements were met, in advance, for production of energy. No environmental studies are necessary. Companies are begging to lease this land.

Wisconsin is waving the bureaucratic red tape in order to sell state owned utilities.

yitbos

[aquila48]

“The Bureau of Land Management sold my town, Boulder City, Nevada, 200,000 acres of adjoining desert cheap.”

I take it that was no-bid?

[bruinbirdman]

"I take it that was no-bid?"

You bet. Dirty Harry Reid, Klintoon, but also our Republican Senator and congressman wrote the legislation about 20 years ago. Not a BLM or executive order. Passed by congress.

See, Wisconsin can do the same.

In any event, the land was taken out of the Federal realm and sold to a city.

Three companies, a natural gas to electricity and two solar/electric plants, are paying us (pop. 15,000) $millions/yr. in rent with plenty of land left for others.

However, solar generators are finding it increasingly difficult to obtain the government subsidies and private investments necessary to be viable. We turned down a Korean scheme that needed the city to ante up bucks. Green is finding it difficult.

Existing state energy utilities have been mandated to become 20% green. They can do this only by raising rates.

yitbos

[PA Engineer]

That’s just my guess. But often the “bidding process” can be time consuming, wasteful, and actually end up not getting the highest bids anyway. Better to put someone responsible in charge and let him use his best judgment.

Agree. Was this a qualified versus high bid? There is an important distinction that the majority do not understand. I would take the qualified.

[green pastures]

TMJ4 (Milw.)I Team investigation— Buried in the Bill:

http://www.todaystmj4.com/features/iteam/116633848.html