I blogged recently about the potential for new in-state hydro power in Vermont. Quoting many studies, I concluded that not much new in-state hydro power is available for Vermont. My estimate was about 25 MW possible. Please read the entire post for the justification of this number.Vermont Yankee opponents, on the other hand, often say there is much more hydro available for Vermont. Among the opponents, VPIRG is the most honest: their Repowering Vermont report predicted only 15 MW expansion in hydro power.
Other opponents wave their hands in the air and claim that new hydro in Vermont can be a serious addition to the fuel mix in Vermont. They don't state numbers and they don't state references. They don't adhere to the generally accepted rules of evidence. They don't...
Aw heck. I'll just quote them.
Evidence, Pre-Filed Testimony, and Loaded Questions
On February 14, I attended a Public Service Board hearing about the Certificate of Public Good for Vermont Yankee. At that hearing, Entergy presented Jeffrey Tranen as an expert witness. You can read Mr. Tranen's resume here, and you can read his pre-filed testimony for the Board at the relicensing docket. Tranen has held responsible positions with grid operators and utilities. Tranen testified on the need for reliability and a good fuel mix on the grid.
In general, substantive issues are supposed to be entered into the docket as pre-filed testimony. You can see volumes of pre-filed testimony at the relicensing docket site, above.
New England Coalition is an old-line nuclear opponent, and an intervenor in the docket. The lawyer for the New England Coalition was Brice Simon.
Examination is supposed to be on the basis of the pre-filed testimony. However, the Public Service Board is quasi-judicial, not a court of law, so there is some leeway. Also, in most courts of law, while leading questions are sometimes permissible, loaded questions are not. Loaded questions assume an answer, and the classic loaded question is described in Wikipedia as follows:
"Have you stopped beating your wife?" indirectly asserting that the subject has beaten her at some point.
Okay, cutting to the chase here. Brice Simon's questions for Tranen seemed so inappropriate that I obtained a copy of the transcript for that day so that I could quote the exchange directly. The transcript is a public record, but it is not on the Public Service Board website.
See what you think of these questions.
I Know and You Don't--So Hah-Hah!
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| Vermont Yankee (620 MW) Vernon Dam (34 MW) |
In general, substantive issues are supposed to be entered into the docket as pre-filed testimony. You can see volumes of pre-filed testimony at the relicensing docket site, above.
New England Coalition is an old-line nuclear opponent, and an intervenor in the docket. The lawyer for the New England Coalition was Brice Simon.
Examination is supposed to be on the basis of the pre-filed testimony. However, the Public Service Board is quasi-judicial, not a court of law, so there is some leeway. Also, in most courts of law, while leading questions are sometimes permissible, loaded questions are not. Loaded questions assume an answer, and the classic loaded question is described in Wikipedia as follows:
"Have you stopped beating your wife?" indirectly asserting that the subject has beaten her at some point.
Okay, cutting to the chase here. Brice Simon's questions for Tranen seemed so inappropriate that I obtained a copy of the transcript for that day so that I could quote the exchange directly. The transcript is a public record, but it is not on the Public Service Board website.
See what you think of these questions.
I Know and You Don't--So Hah-Hah!
Context: Discussion of Vermont Yankee's role in diversifying the fuel supply mix in this area, an area which has limited natural gas pipelines.
(Questions by Brice Simon, NEC lawyer; answers by Jeffrey Tranen, Entergy Witness; Objection by Robert Juman, Entergy Lawyer; Comment by James Volz, Chairman of the Public Service Board)
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| Illustration from Renewable Energy Vermont |
A. Local hydro is already factored into the dispatch.
Q. What I'm asking is increased local hydro over time could come in to meet that need, correct?
A. I question whether there's enough increased local hydro of the magnitude of a Vermont Yankee power plant, but in general any other source of power than gas which is economic -- more economic than gas to operate in the dispatch would reduce the amount of gas that's required during the operating day.
Q. Are you aware of how much untapped hydro resources there remain in the State of Vermont?
A. I don't have specific numbers, but when I was actively involved in management with regard to New England it was my understanding that there was very little economic new hydro in New England to be developed.
Q. And when was that?
A. A decade ago.
Q. A decade ago. So you're not aware of all of the wonderful improvements that Vermont hydro developers are seeing that are increasing the available economic hydro in the state, are you?
A. I am not aware of the -- to what extent there could be new hydro that would be economic to develop in Vermont.
Q. Are you aware of the recent developments in run-of-the-river hydrologic turbines?
MR. JUMAN: Objection. What developments are you referring to?
MR. SIMON: I'm asking if the witness is aware of the developments that I'm aware of that I'm not going to tell about.
MR. JUMAN: Then I object to that question. You're asking him about something you're not sharing with him.
MR. SIMON: I don't have to share it with him.
MR. JUMAN: You're asking him to read your mind.
MR. SIMON: No. I'm asking his state of knowledge. I don't have to tell him.
CHAIRMAN VOLZ: I think it's fair to ask him if he's -- we are -- what developments in hydro technology is he aware of.
MR. SIMON: I'll rephrase the question happily.
BY MR. SIMON: Q. What, if any, developments in the area of run-of-the-river hydrologic turbines are you aware of?
A. I am not aware of any hydroelectric technology developments that would make new hydro development economic in competing with gas fired generation to any great extent.
Q. Thank you. ..
My Conclusion
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| A fishy fish from Wikipedia |
Simon seems to be claiming that there is new hydro available, on the same scale as Vermont Yankee power, but as small run-of-the-river plants, using an unreferenced new technology. And he doesn't have to tell anything more about it.
Hopefully, the Board is smart enough to see through this type of questioning.
