Last February in our post, Horse hockey: who's pushing the puck for new Coalition for a Secure Energy Future TV ad?, we looked at the source of the funding for the "Coalition for a Secure Energy Future," a "marketing" campaign funded by a North Dakota coal tax and approved by the state's Industrial Commission.
Since the Coalition for a Secure Energy Coalition is emailing its list to urge people to attend the four Clean Power Plan listening sessions in Greater Minnesota and praise lumps of coal (more on that in a bit), we thought it was worthwhile to see what North Dakota had been up to since our last post.
The Partnership
Here's how the North Dakota Industrial Commission's Lignite Research, Development and Marketing Program explains The Partnership with the Lignite Energy Council:
The state/industry partnership includes the Industrial Commission, and the Lignite Energy Council which have entered into a partnership to administer the Lignite Research, Development and Marketing Program. Following is a quick explanation of how the program works:
The North Dakota Legislature enacts legislation and appropriates funding for the program. The Lignite Research Council recommends policies and funding for projects to the Industrial Commission. The Industrial Commission approves policies and funding for projects.
The Industrial Commission and the Lignite Energy Council administer the program and all Lignite Research, Development and Marketing Program projects.
The page lists "1016 E. Owens, PO Box 2277, Bismarck, ND 58502-2277" as the mailing address for the Lignite Energy Council, with Jason Bohrer as the contact person. Bohrer is the registered lobbyist for the Lignite Energy Council at the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board.
"Continued Funding for Regional Lignite Energy Marketing Program"
According to the agenda for the Tuesday, November 17, 2015 meeting of the Lignite Research Council, posted on the North Dakota Industrial Commission's Lignite Research, Development and Marketing Program's website, the council was to consider these agenda items:
Continued Funding for Regional Lignite Energy Marketing Program" Submitted by: Lignite Energy Council; Request for: $1,800,000 ($600,000 annually); Total Project Costs $3,600,000; Principal Investigator: Lignite Energy Council; Project Duration: 3 Years. - To be distributed at the meeting.
Technical Peer Reviewers' Rating - D - To be distributed at the meeting.
Technical Peer Reviewers' Comments and Applicant's Response - D - To be distributed at the meeting.
Executive Director's Summary and Recommendation - D - To be distributed at the meeting.
This appears to be a continuation of an agenda item from earlier years, though it's worded slightly differently, from "public affairs" to 'marketing." Here's our passage about the earlier funding:
According to the June 5, 2014 Lignite Research Council Agenda of the North Dakota Industrial Commission Lignite Research, Development and Marketing Program, CSEF is funded by a grant from the commission:
Re-Submission of Regional Lignite Public Affairs Plan (Coalition for a Secure Energy Future) Submitted by: Lignite Energy Council; Request for: $600,000 annually for a total of $1,200,000; Project Duration: 2 Years.
While the discussion of the plan was closed meeting, page 35 of the minutes (pdf) of the July 1, 2014 meeting of the North Dakota Development Commission reveal:
During the closed session, it had been moved and seconded that the Industrial Commission accepts the Lignite Research Council recommendation to fund the grant application “Regional Lignite Public Affairs Plan (Coalition for a Secure Energy Future)” and to authorize Karlene Fine, Industrial Commission Executive Director, to execute an agreement with the Lignite Energy Council to provide a total of Industrial Commission Lignite Research Program funding in an amount not to exceed $1,200,000 (marketing) with annual updates presented to the Commission . On a roll call vote, Governor Dalrymple, Attorney General Stenehjem and Commissioner Goehring voted aye. The motion carried unanimously.
Despite that difference in wording, a note on bottom the pdf of the LRC's preliminary budget for the 2015-2017 biennium reveals that the marketing project listed in the agenda for the Tuesday, November 17, 2015 Lignite Research Council is indeed the Coalition for a Secure Energy Future. We embed the document below.
Lignite Research Council Financials
Public Affairs/Marketing Program Funded by Lobbyist's Association Not Lobbying
As we've noted in earlier posts, the co-chairs of the Coalition for a Secure Energy insist that this public affairs/marketing campaign funded by the North Dakota Industrial Commission and administered by Industrial Commission and the Lignite Energy Council (an association registered with the MN CFB) says that it's not engaged in lobbying. Or maybe it is.
As we reported in Will scheduling woes keep lawmakers away from Coalition for a Secure Energy Future's free food?, the Coalition held at least one legislative reception. Moreover, the Coalition gives out good conduct certificates to individual lawmakers, like Senate Majority Leader Bakk, to make sure there are lumps of coal in Minnesota's energy mix.
Email: Take Action on the Clean Power Plan; Or, Share Your Carbon Love with the MPCA
Six days ago, Bluestem posted MPCA schedules 4 Clean Power Plan community listening sessions around state in February.
This morning, a reader forwarded an emailed Action Alert from Joel Johnson, the Minnesota Director at the Coalition for A Secure Energy Future. Here's the header:
From: Joel Johnson <[email protected]>
Date: Fri, Jan 22, 2016 at 1:43 PM
Subject: 4 Listening Sessions on the Clean Power Plan
The Coalition for a Secure Energy Future opposes the Clean Power Plan, which the EPA website describes as "a historic and important step in reducing carbon pollution from power plants that takes real action on climate change." The four listening sessions in Minnesota concern the state plan.
The Action Alert can be viewed online here. Johnson writes:
Thank you for your commitment to supporting all-of-the-above energy. The Coalition for a Secure Energy Future is dedicated to enhancing, preserving, and protecting our diverse set of energy resources, including coal-based electricity, to ensure a continued affordable and reliable energy supply for families and businesses in Minnesota – now and into the future.
I wanted to take a brief moment to let you know about a series of upcoming listening sessions on the Clean Power Plan. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is hosting four town hall style meetings in greater Minnesota. . . .
One thing that's missing from that online document is the footer on the email document: "Coalition for a Secure Energy Future · 1016 East Owens Ave. · Bismarck, ND 58501 · USA." We've provided a screengrab at the top of this section.
As we noted at the top of the page, that's the address for the Lignite Energy Council, a registered association that lobbies in Minnesota. Joel Johnson? He's a registered lobbyist for the Minnesota Rural Electric Association.
But the Coalition for a Secure Energy Future? It's so not lobbying when it talks to legislators or throws parties for lawmakers in order to educate them about coal.
Regardless of how many millions a North Dakota state agency in partnership with a coal industry group spends to convince that coal is the best present ever.
Note to media: Most of the material in this post is original investigative work and analysis. Bluestem Prairie is an independent blog. Our reporting on the lignite industry is the result of independent investigation. Please cite our original reporting following Associated Press guidelines and best media practices and link to our posts.
Photo: Coalition for a Secure Energy Minnesota Director and MREA lobbyist Joel Carlson, Senator Majority Leader Tom Bakk, Scott County Commissioner Mike Beard, (a non-energy lobbyist) and former Senate Majority Leader Roger Moe, now a lobbyist. Moe added Xcel Energy to his stable of clients as of January 5, 2016. Bakk got a good conduct certificate for being nice to coal.
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