Is Crown Hydro Environmental, Progressive? Discuss!!!

[Avidor]

http://www.mnprogressiveproject.com/diary/2598/shovel-ready-and-waiting">Progressive Project:

The Crown Hydro project is waiting for the Minneapolis Park & Rec Board to do its duty and sign off on it (as every other regulatory agency has done). Failing that, the project will be asking the legislature to do what the Park Board won't - to get a green project going. I became aware of this project two weeks ago, through a comment in a blogpost here on MN Progressive Project - a post entitled "Obama EPA Blocks Big Stone II". And it intrigued me - how could anyone in Minneapolis be against a completely green energy project??!?

http://liberalinthelandofconservative.blogspot.com/2009/02/project-we-can-believe-in.html">Liberal in the Land of Conservative:

This is precisely the type of renewable energy future that both President Obama and Governor Pawlenty have been pushing our state and country towards. It would have the two fold effect of creating immediate jobs (union jobs according to the developer) and helping Minnesota move towards its goal of 25% renewable by 2025. While it certainly doesn't solve the entirety of our energy needs, it is the perfect shovel-ready project as defined by the Obama Stimulus Plan that moves us one step closer to a greener cleaner energy grid.

Couple these environmental and immediate economic benefits with the fact that the developer of this project has promised to pay the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board $300,000 every year with a 3% increase every year for the next 100 years and you have a long term positive economic impact.

So, a project such as this would seem to be the dream of any self respecting progressive who heralds their love of the environment, right? A project such as this would seem to be an easy sell for those environment loving progressives inhabiting Minneapolis, right?

It appears as though we may have some progressives who refuse to practice what they preach...

A commenter on that blog post says the following:

The only reason this is not already done is because Fritz Mondale and one the most powerful lobbyist in the state Brian Rice are fighting this tooth and nail at the behest of the liberal big money donors who live next to the falls.

When money talks, green energy and jobs take a back seat.

http://mplsparkwatch.org/files/mondaleletter.pdf"> Part of a letter Walter Mondale sent to the Mpls Park Board (PDF):

I write today to urge that you, as a matter of public policy, conclude that the land
you own in the most historically sacred area of our great City be simply off-limits to
commercial development. Two projects have threatened to desecrate the most
sensitive of land you own—namely the condominium project on the old Fuji Ya site, and
the again-pending attempt to locate a hydro electric generation plant steps from the Mill
Ruins. The latter proposal, no matter what the view of paid consultants, is inherently a
taking of the public’s most historic property in this most historic area—the force of the
falls over the St. Anthony apron. I and I am sure countless citizens who care deeply
about our great City would urge you to draw a strong line of resistance against any
commercially driven sell-off of park lands in these few blocks where Minneapolis was
born.....

http://mplsparkwatch.org/node/79">Mpls Park Board Watch:

In the debate over the Crown Hydro power plant to be built on Minneapolis Park property, most proponents are framing the issue as being about renewable energy. They falsely claim those opposed to the project must be opposed to renewable energy.

Renewable energy is not the issue at all. It is whether the costs and risks of the project are worth the benefits to Minneapolis.

If what we want from this project is the additional hydro power, then why not simply allow Xcel Energy to produce it? Xcel has a hydro plant directly across the river from the proposed location running at far less than maximum output, simply for want of more water. Give the water rights to Xcel instead of Crown Hydro, and we save the $5.1 million from the renewable energy fund and an approximately $2 million rate subsidy from the state.

Dump Bachmann blog readers may recall http://dumpbachmann.blogspot.com/2006/06/wealthy-eminent-domain-advocate-hosts.html">William Hawks, the CEO of the Crown Hydro holding a fundraiser for Michele Bachmann with special guest Dick Cheney.

So, is Crown Hydro environmental... progressive?

Discuss!!!