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Taking Back North Dakota, via PoliPundit, has noted some of the things that are getting done in the new Senate:If you pay attention to anything the Pravda (mainstream media) says, you probably wouldn't know that the Republican-controlled Congress is getting...

Argus Leader:With pheasant season in full swing, South Dakota's burgeoning gun industry applauds passage of federal legislation to shield gun manufacturers and dealers from lawsuits....Rep. Stephanie Herseth, D-S.D., voted for the House bill that passed Thursday by a vote of...

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.

From John Fund: Another reason for conservative suspicion is that it was Mr. Card, a former moderate Massachusetts state legislator, who pushed the Miers choice. This is something that Andy and the president cooked up, a White House adviser told...

My SDP colleague and former student, Quentin Riggins, appears to have irritated my friend at CCK, Chad Shuldt. Though I am not sure that Chad's intemperate language strengthens his case, he has every right to deploy profanity when he sees...

The current estimated Powerball lotter jackpot is $340 million dollars, with a cash value of about $164 million. It could very well be more by tonight's drawing. Don't think that I couldn't find a couple of dollars in the cupholder...

I'm sitting here watching the Avs-Blackhawks game, and the OT finished 2-2. I finally get to see my first hockey shoot out of the season. Hopefully Peter Budaj is good enough to keep one or two of them out. Three...

Great game tonight, eh? It's amazing how a third baseman can turn a game around with his glove, and that's exactly what Joe Crede did tonight (his bat helped, too). This isn't news to real baseball fans, as third basemen...

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