Bravo, Mike Beard

House District 35A: Beard, Bruns battle for seat | Prior Lake American

Beard, a member of the state’s energy committee, said he came to regret his vote for the mandates once he better understood the cost to consumers.

Although companies like Xcel Energy were OK with the mandate, saying it had enough escape clauses, Beard said he later was informed that power companies have a guaranteed rate of return, which is why they weren’t concerned about the bill. They could actually make more money from more expensive power, he said.

A skeptic of what he considers global-warming alarmism, Beard said he tries to bring a voice of sanity and reason to the energy debates.

He believes expansion of the Big Stone Plant near Milbank, S.D., is essential to keeping the region’s baseline power going.

He said the coal-fired plant would double its present energy production while emitting half the pollution of the current site.

Bruns is hesitant about such a large investment in coal-based technology.

She said the state must be conscious of consumers’ energy costs but also weigh short-term savings of present power-production methods against the potential long-term benefits of emerging technology, which will lessen carbon footprints.

“I’m willing to listen, but hesitant,” Bruns said of the Big Stone proposal. “It feels like building old PCs.”