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Deal 'opens the door' to wind power

DEFINITELY A WIN-WIN-WIN for South Dakota's Economy!

One of the biggest hinderances to the development of more wind power in South Dakota has been a lack of enough transmission line capacity to get the electricity to where it's needed.

There is a positive logic to the addition of a new coal-burning plant also. The US has an abundance of coal, and large deposits of high quality low-sulfur coal are just to the west in Wyoming. There is a synergy that comes into play here with a three-way synergistic development of South Dakota's utility and transportation infrastructure which is catalyzed by the planned construction of a new coal-burning power plant at Big Stone.

The first element of this synergy is the expansion of the DM&E Railroad, which, in spite of the usual opposition from envirowacko activist groups and assorted other NIMBY (Non-In-My-Backyard types pushed through approval of extending it's lines into the Wyoming coal fields, and upgrade of its existing mainlines to handle the greatly increased traffic that results from this. (See note 1 in extended entry) This increases the availability of coal for new plants.

With the abundance of coal, and modern abatement technology, it is possible to burn low-sulfur coal with a minimum amount of air pollution, plus it helps to increase the electric power capacity, which is an essential positive factor for continued economic growth in the area. (See Note 2)

Finally, this proposed coal plant will bring in a significantly serious excess in electrical power transmission capacity, above and beyound the needs of the new plant. This excess capacity is available for the development of large(r) scale wind turbine developments, which (a) provides yet more electricity, (b) is a clean, renewable energy source, and (c) provides yet another boost to the local economic structure.

So, what's the "win-win-win"? More needed electrical power, use of domestic coal instead of imported oil, and the enabled development of even cleaner wind power capacity. Three birds with one "Big Stone". Not too bad.

'The Great Game' Returns

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice completed her visit to Central Asia and Afghanistan last week. This is a tough neighborhood, which plays a key role in the forthcoming global game between the West and the rest.

The U.S. has growing geopolitical competition in the region from Russia, China and the global Islamist movement. Ms. Rice is now playing the 21st Century version of the "Great Game" in which, 100 years ago, the British Empire and Czarist Russia competed over the heartland of Eurasia.

What a phrase can evoke - "The Great Game" - recalling the not always glorious days of Kipling and Victoria:

When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains, And the women come out to cut up what remains, Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains An' go to your Gawd like a soldier. Go, go, go like a soldier?So-oldier of the Queen!

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Michael Hastings, writing in Newsweek, has this:Oct. 15, 2005 - Cruising through the Al Wahdi neighborhood in eastern Mosul, Iraq, Lt. Colonel John Norris ducks down from his command hatch in the heavily armored Stryker vehicle. Look at all the...

Kids hate clowns, but moms know what a clown packs....

A couple of related items contribute to optimism:

Constitution headed for win in Iraq

Another factual refutation of the anti-war moonbat assertion that the efforts in Iraq are failing.

Never mind, they haven't let details like facts trouble their minds before, so this probably won't matter to them either.

13 VS.347

Here's a good blog post from GOP Vixen noting 13 terr attacks during the Iraq constitution vote, combpared to 347 attacks during the first election over there. So what's not progress about THIS?

ssAnne Applebaum, author of Gulag, has a great piece in the Washington Post contrasting the trial of Saddam Hussein with the Nuremburg trials in Germany following World War II. Excerpt:Yet Nuremberg was, in retrospect, a huge success, and as the...

ABC News:Dr./Leader/Sen. Bill Frist is expected to tout his work on judges when he speaks at the Reagan dinner in Iowa. Here is an advance look at what he'll say according to remarks prepared for delivery obtained by ABC News:...

Via LGF: A DemocraticUnderground poster, featuring a George Galloway avatar, defends referencing Hitler when referencing... well, you know. Why is my head suddenly throbbing? Er, "brain cramp," I suppose....

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