Final EIS Issued for Mesaba Energy Project
Posted at: 11/16/2009 12:02 PM
| Updated at: 11/16/2009 5:55 PM
By: Renee Passal
Minneapolis, MN – Excelsior Energy announced today that the U.S. Department of Energy and the Minnesota Department of Commerce have released the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Mesaba Energy Project, marking another significant milestone for the company’s integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) project.
The final EIS analyzes the potential environmental impacts of locating two 600 MW IGCC (coal gasification) power plants at one of two sites currently under consideration in northeastern Minnesota. More than seven hundred comments were received concerning the Project’s draft EIS, which was completed during the fall of 2007; the final EIS addresses all of the comments filed and provides a comprehensive analysis of the Project’s potential environmental and socio-economic impacts and project benefits.
Excelsior co-CEO Tom Micheletti stated, “This is the culmination of a more than four-year rigorous process involving scientists, engineers, and environmental experts from both the private sector and our state and federal governments. We at Excelsior Energy are deeply grateful for the work of these dedicated experts, and are pleased that the vision we have for the Mesaba Project has stood up to such thorough scrutiny and achieved this important milestone. We are also grateful to all those public citizens who participated in the EIS process and to Iron Range Resources for its continuous and steadfast support.”
Excelsior still needs to find a customer for the power. They had hoped to get a mandated power purchase agreement, with Xcel Energy. But the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission ruled that it's not in the public's best interest, to require that agreement.
The company is appealing that decision.
Also, a final decision on the site for the plant is pending. The preferred site is near Taconite.
Cost for the plant is now $2 billion dollar, and Excelsior hopes to eventually build six plants.
The final EIS, which is available online at http://energyfacilities.puc.state.mn.us/Docket.html?Id=16573, is now available for public review.
The Project is also supported in Minnesota by enabling legislation providing it with significant regulatory benefits and by Iron Range Resources, a state development agency.
The Excelsior management team includes industry veterans in the electric utility, independent power, environmental and project development areas. The company website is www.excelsiorenergy.com.
