Archive for May 8th, 2008

Sea Monster named Pepie in Lake Pepin (Minnesota)?

Thursday, May 8th, 2008

 Or just a cleaver marketing tool to lure folks to Lake City, MN?

artist
artist’s rendering

LAKE CITY, Minn. (WCCO) ? There’s one creature in Minnesota that’s so hard to track that $50,000 reward is out for proof it exists.

Ever since the 1800s, residents around Lake Pepin in Lake City, Minn. say they’ve spotted a sea monster. They call him, Pepie.
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The first sighting of the creature was in April 1871. An artist has tried to show what the monster, with a hypnotic red-eye and demon-like head, might look like. It’s said to live within the depths of Devil’s Abys.
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Boaters have told stories of being attacked while on the water, first hearing several loud knocks on the hull, followed by several violent back and forth swings of the boat.
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“The idea behind the reward is make sure you come up with a camera. You might catch Pepie, but the worst thing that’s going to happen is that you’re going to get pictures of some of the most beautiful scenery in the world,” said Nielson.

This reward is also a marketing tool for Lake City. The local tourism bureau hopes the chance to see Pepie and get money for it will bring people to the area.

My mother alerted me to the news about Pepie.

Posted in Great Outdoors, History, Minnesota, Wisconsin | 1 Comment »

Wind power made up 35% of the new US power generation capacity added in 2007.

Thursday, May 8th, 2008

Wind power made up 35% of the new US power generation capacity added in 2007, according to the AWEA. I was surprised by that high percentage.

The report also reveals how much influence the Federal government has on wind power construction when you look at how much capacity was added with and without the production tax credit (PTC). It would be nice if the government stop making huge waves in the industry and would allow the market place to determine the most economical type of power plants to build (taking into account the cost of fuel, construction, environmental, etc.).

chart

“… if Congress does not act quickly, this momentum could be derailed at the worst possible time for the economy, placing 76,000 jobs and over $11.5 billion in investment at risk,“ Swisher added.  “While 2008 is shaping up to be another great year, we could see a very different story in 2009 as uncertainty looms over investment in wind power projects and manufacturing due to continuing delay in extending the production tax credit (PTC),” Swisher added.  The PTC is the primary federal incentive for wind power, and expires at the end of the year along with incentives for other renewable electricity sources.

Posted in Power Grid, Wind Power | 2 Comments »