Infrastructure Watch: Search results for Midwest

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Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Work to Keep Mississippi River Open Continues

The Corp of Engineers has been removing rocks from the Mississippi River to keep it open to barges. The river level has dropped because of a hard drought in the central part of the country. January is generally the month with the lowest rainfall in the region, and officials are hoping for the assistance of rains next month.

The Corp has released water from Carlyle Reservoir to help bring up water levels. Reservoirs on the Missouri River, the major tributary of the Mississippi, are legally off limits without special action by the president or Congress. This would likely be an unpopular move with many Missouri River states, which seem to be gearing up for more battles over competing uses.

Saturday, April 23, 2016

Energy & Water Roundup

ENERGY

Consumer Group Opposes Missouri Energy Rate Reform Bill

The Midwest Energy Consumer Group (MECG) has come out in opposition of HB2689 (and its parallel in the Missouri Senate, SB1028), which would make significant changes to the way electric rates are regulated in the Missouri. The group claims that the bill would remove the voice of customers from the electric rate setting process and pave the way for regular, uncontested rate increases. The Office of Public Counsel, which officially represents customers in Missouri utility rate cases, expressed concern that the bill might limit the ability of the agency, as well as the state’s Public Service Commission, to review rate increases.

Bill Would Change Electric Ratemaking in Missouri

Senate Passes Energy Bill

The U.S. Senate passed its first major energy bill in a decade. The bill emphasizes development of alternative energy, natural gas, and lesser used sources such as geothermal and hydropower. It also focuses on energy efficiency and safety. The bill will need to be reconciled with the energy bill passed in the House of Representatives, which differs significantly, particularly in its approach to fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas). Senate leaders are confident they can work out differences with the House and develop a compromise bill that can pass both chambers latter this year.

What Is a Microgrid?

I’m seeing a lot about microgrids in utility publications and on the Internet. I thought it might be worthwhile to write something that could serve as an introduction to the subject for those who are unfamiliar with it, as well as educate myself in the process. I intend this to be the first in a series of short posts on the subject.

Let’s start with the basics. What is a microgrid?

A microgrid is a local energy grid that can disconnect from the larger grid and operate independently. It connects to the main grid at a location where the voltage of the two systems can be maintained at the same level. A switching system can manually or automatically switch the connection on or off.

Though the name “microgrid” implies something small, size is not a defining point. Microgrids are defined by

-local control, and

-functioning both connected to and disconnected from the main grid.

If you’re interested in finding out more about microgrids, here are some resources to get you started.

About microgrids (Berkeley Lab)

How microgrids work (Lantero, A., Energy.gov, June 17, 2014)

WATER

A Little Sewer History

The Guardian posted an article on the Great Stink of 1858 and how it prompted officials in London to improve the city’s overwhelmed system of handling storm water and wastewater. The Thames of that time was a stinking mess of sewage and a hazard to health. The sewer system devised by Joseph Bazalgette was a marvel of the age (and much of it is still in use) that moved wastewater discharges away from the populated areas around London.

You can read this very good article here. If it whets your appetite to find out more about this project, you may also want to read Dreams of Iron and Steel by Debora Cadbury. The Great Stink by Clare Clark is a fictional thriller set during this time that partly takes place in the changing sewers of London.

Friday, December 14, 2012

Will the Missouri River be the Next Colorado River?

The Bureau of Reclamation and the seven states that are part of the Colorado River Compact (Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) announced a proposal for a pipeline to carry water from the Missouri River to the western states. The very preliminary proposal suggests a pipeline beginning near Leavenworth, Kansas, to Denver, Colorado. It would take 30 year to build at a price of more than $11 billion, not to mention the energy bills for pumping the water and the constant operational and maintenance costs.

Infrastructure Watch does not abound with opinions as much as do some other blogs, but since we are based in Missouri, you would be right to guess we have an opinion on this. The states and communities along the Missouri River have enough water resources problems of their own. They’ve already been battling over use of the river, and the aquifers that have made the Midwest a great producer of grain are already showing signs of overuse. If we’re teetering on the edge of a water crisis, we don’t have the resources to bail out the West. Because the lower Mississippi River gets a significant amount of flow from the Missouri River, those states may have a few things to say about it, too.

We don’t mind seeing the west grow. We just don’t want to be the Owens Valley to their Los Angeles. If the Bureau of Reclamation has the vision to imagine a spectacular pipeline, maybe they should envision the problems it will cause and its eventual failure. We need to get real about the water we have, when and where we have it, wherever we are.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Missouri Environment & Infrastructure Roundup

Department of Natural Resources Suffers from Low Revenues

Due to low economic activity in the state, several fee-supported funds at the Department of Natural Resources are projected to run out of money in the near future. These funds, mostly raised through permit fees, support activities related to water pollution, air pollution, solid waste and hazardous waste.

In addition, the water pollution fees will sunset if they are not reauthorized by the General Assembly. The department could seek to have the fees increased as part of the reauthorization, but this seems unlikely.

Related articles:
DNR short of funds; fees set to expire

State Gets Stimulus Funds for Railroad Improvements
Missouri was awarded $31 million for high-speed rail projects under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The recovery act funding will be used for three projects:-a second rail bridge over the Osage River that will eliminate delays caused by a bottleneck, plus additional crossovers that will reduce maintenance flexibility;

-a universal crossover near the Kirkwood Amtrak station that will ease the flow of passenger trains into and out of the St. Louis area; and

-safety improvements at several rail crossings, primarily west of Sedalia.

It will also fund preliminary engineering on six future improvement projects. Some of these projects are double tracks between Lee's Summit and Pleasant Hill, a passing siding at Kingsville, a grade separation at Strasburg, a passing siding extension at Knob Noster and universal crossovers - a device that allows trains to crossover to another track in either direction - at Bonnots Mill and Hermann.

Missouri won funding as part of a consortium of states that were awarded $2.6 billion of the $8 billion in ARRA funds available for high-speed rail corridor improvements. The consortium, known as the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative, includes Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

You can read the original Missouri Department of Transportation news release here.

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