Photo: Jack White/Star-Observer.
Photo: Jack White/Star-Observer.
The following are Letters to the Editor, published in the Hudson Star-Observer’s print edition on Thursday.
Readers wrote of Xcel Energy’s Ten Mile Creek Project. They commented on U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany voicing disapproval of Gov. Tony Evers’ veto. And they wrote of the Trump administration.
That and more below:
Xcel Energy will over the next two years raise rates around 18% for Wisconsin and Minnesota customers on its system, starting with an 11.8% increase in electric rates in 2026 and an additional 7.1% the following year.
Utilities, by definition, do not compete in the marketplace. They are regulated by boards and commissions that guarantee investors an annual rate of return, generally around 8% to 10% of a person’s income.
This system incentivizes large capital projects and inefficiency like the Ten Mile Creek solar project. Xcel can pursue the folly of a highly inefficient, environmentally and ecologically damaging project with no downside and no risk of going out of business.
According to Xcel Energy in October, the re-scoped Ten Mile Creek solar farm will produce 300 megawatts (solar) and 300 megawatts (battery energy storage).
The Allen S. King plant, which the project supposedly replaces, produces roughly 400 megawatts a year, with a maximum capacity of 600 megawatts. The Allen S. King site itself would be ideal for a thousand-megawatt modular nuclear plant. It has a small carbon footprint, all waste is contained and stored and it uses existing power line corridors.
If it’s like other projects in the U.S., Ten Mile Creek will likely get its solar panels and storage batteries from China. China still builds giant coal fired power plants with a pace of two plant approvals per week in 2022. And it increases renewables. And then there is India, which plans to increase its coal power capacity by 46% in 2026.
If the solar panels are manufactured using electricity from coal fired power plants in China, in my mind this defeats the point of the claimed carbon savings of the panels and batteries. Then there is the habitat disruption, with thousands of acres turned into fenced industrial land that disrupts deer movement, pollinators and existing environmental pathways.
Stormwater runoff, soil compaction and permanent infrastructure make it hard or extremely expensive to reclaim this land back to farmland. These large solar farms also create microclimates and heat island effects that affect vegetation.
There are also panel waste and lifecycle externalities because of the ephemeral lifespan of solar panels. They last about 30 years and during that time their efficiency drops steadily. On the Xcel website, the company says solar panels “can be recycled.” This is true. But the cost could be $30 to $40 per panel, with a solar farm consisting of thousands of panels. The website should go on to say that recycling is not cost effective when the panels can be disposed of for about a dollar each at a landfill. Which is what will happen, or Xcel will recycle them, not care about the cost and the company could pass that on to consumers with another rate hike.
The transmission line corridor that runs through Wisconsin also runs through Minnesota. Xcel could easily site this solar farm on open or industrial land near the transmission lines in Woodbury, Minnesota. Of course, the issue is political. No town or suburb wants a giant solar farm next to its homes. It is simply more politically expedient to place it where pushback and political power aren’t as strong. That would be rural Wisconsin, rather than in a Minnesota suburb like Woodbury. In my opinion, this is why Ten Mile Creek came to St. Croix County and not in an urban area of Minnesota.
Xcel Energy also says on its website that it will give local governments over $1 million a year for school and community programs. This is legal and it helps diminish local political opposition. Xcel further claims it leases farmland at well above market rates. So, who pays for this generosity? The consumers who have no other choice but to buy electricity from Xcel Energy. It is a fact that when electric utilities rely heavily on solar and wind power, rates are higher. Editor’s Note: Electricity bills have increased across the U.S. in recent years, but retail electricity prices have either flattened or fallen, after adjusting for inflation.
The consumer pays,and the boards and regulators ensure the utility still makes its guaranteed return.
The Ten Mile solar field folly is a betrayal of the residents of St. Croix County and the consumers of Xcel Energy.
Rick A. Coalwell
Somerset
Shallow, unwarranted indignation may be free for politicians to express, but it costs us taxpayers money when worthless bills make it all the way through the Wisconsin Legislature to the governor’s desk. A perfect example: U.S. Tom Tiffany’s recent political tantrum over Assembly Bill 308.
Blustering and grandstanding in his bid for governor, Tiffany — who is in federal congress, and not the state legislature where the bill went through to the governor’s desk — championed the passage of this unnecessary bill and is now outraged over it after Gov. Tony Evers vetoed the bill. In Evers’ letter elaborating on the decision, the governor cited the Republican co-author of the bill saying during a proposal “Wisconsin currently doesn’t allow undocumented immigrants to enroll in BadgerCare.”
The bill is trying to ban what is already banned: taxpayer money subsidizing healthcare for undocumented immigrants. Not only did the bill waste time and energy, it amounted to nothing more than political theater
Under existing law, people “not lawfully present in the United States” already do not qualify for Wisconsin’s two largest medical care programs: BadgerCare or Medicaid. There are two types of “free” healthcare in Wisconsin available for undocumented immigrants: 1) immediate medical care in the form of emergency room treatment, which is required by federal law that applies to all states; and 2) prenatal care, which also is required by federal law that applies to all states.
I, for one, support providing emergency room and prenatal medical care to all people in our community because it’s the humane, decent and lawful thing to do. Also, it actually benefits all Wisconsinites, keeping us all healthier.
Besides that, working immigrants — both documented and undocumented alike — financially contribute to the operations of our local, state and federal government programs. They contribute to Social Security and Medicare — even though undocumented people cannot collect Social Security or qualify for Medicare benefits. They pay lots of other taxes, too. In 2022, undocumented immigrants alone contributed over $240 million to Wisconsin in state and local taxes, as reported by the University of Wisconsin’s School for Workers.
In comparison, U.S. Rep. Tiffany is squandering our public funds by pushing the passage of a needless bill. We should expect more of the same if he ever becomes governor. Next November, don’t give him any more opportunities to waste Wisconsin’s money and time. Tiffany is bad for Wisconsin.
Laurie Harmon
Hudson
I salute U.S. Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona and his Democratic colleagues for reminding America’s military of its constitutional duty to ignore illegal orders.
Republicans’ calls to sanction Kelly prove they believe that reminding soldiers of their oath to the U.S. Constitution has become a crime in America.
But why would President Donald Trump, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and others attack what amounts to a reminder to ignore illegal orders unless they were planning on issuing more of them?
Geoffrey Corn, formerly the Army’s senior adviser for law-of-war issues, said the Trump administration was “shredding” rather than “stretching” the legal envelope. Corn added of the boat strikes, “all Americans should be concerned about how our military is being cut loose from its legal moorings by what appears to be the abandonment of the rule of law from the very top of our national chain of command.”
Former JAG attorney Mark Nevitt, an expert on international law and legal ethics, suggested: “My theory is they might not want to get into the messy issues involving detention and habeas corpus lawsuits.”
Nevitt reminds us that the navy’s core values are honor, courage and commitment. He warned us that abandoning those values can demoralize troops, create long-lasting moral injury and fuel distrust in the ranks.
Principled military officers have resigned rather than follow orders they knew to be illegal. Others were fired for refusing to look the other way when Trump put America in the same category as Iran, North Korea and Russia when it comes to following international law and respecting human rights.
Americans should recognize this “Trumped up war” on Venezuela for what it is: a distraction from inflation, the release of the Epstein files and horrible job numbers that the president continues to suppress. It is also another power grab to give Trump total control over the military.
Congress, including U.S. Representatives Tom Tiffany and Derrick Van Orden, should do their jobs and reclaim the shared powers over America’s military afforded to congress in the U.S. Constitution. Now is not the time for them to ignore their duty, to march in lockstep with Trump’s policies, ones that are illegal, immoral and dangerous to both our soldiers and our place as a world leader.
Cheri Evjen
New Richmond
President Donald Trump’s constant attacks on former President Joe Biden serve clear political and psychological purposes. By blaming Biden for nearly everything, Trump creates a simple villain, shifts responsibility for problems and keeps his base focused on partisan identity rather than his own record. His rhetoric isn’t “Biden Derangement Syndrome”— it’s a calculated strategy to manipulate public perception.
Making Biden the universal scapegoat gives Trump a ready-made narrative: anything going wrong now is Biden’s fault, and anything going right must be thanks to Trump — even when timelines don’t match. Polls have shown that many voters did hold Biden responsible for inflation and economic hardship, so Trump keeps linking current frustrations — high prices, crime, foreign conflicts — to “Biden’s failures” to reinforce that association.
When facing criticism on issues like the economy, foreign policy, tariffs or national security, Trump claims the real cause lies in Biden’s past actions or inaction. This tactic allows him to dodge responsibility for his administration’s missteps by portraying them as lingering problems from a previous administration that only Trump can fix.
Trump’s political style thrives on personal enemies and grievances. Casting Biden as the central villain keeps his supporters emotionally engaged and turns politics into a fight against “Biden’s America,” not a judgment on Trump’s own performance. Constantly repeating Biden’s name and tying it to negativity reinforces loyalty and strengthens partisan identity — valuable tools for fundraising and media attention, even when conditions worsen.
Many major issues — global inflation, wars, migration, infrastructure failures — have complex, shared causes. But blaming Biden provides Trump a convenient, one-sentence answer that fits rallies and TV clips better than serious explanations. That simplification is deliberate: it converts real governing challenges into messaging opportunities by assigning blame to a single antagonist, instead of addressing bipartisan or personal responsibility.
Use critical thinking when listening to Trump. Remember, his “Truth Social” platform is neither truth nor social.
John Krizek
Hudson
I am writing to express growing concern about the impact that recently passed local ordinances are having on our farming community. While these measures may be well-intentioned, their unintended consequences are placing significant strain on the people who grow our food, steward our land and sustain our rural economy. Farmers today operate under increasing pressure — volatile markets, rising input costs, labor shortages and unpredictable weather. Adding new layers of local regulation, often drafted without meaningful consultation from those directly affected, makes an already challenging profession even more difficult. Restrictions on land use, new permitting requirements and limits on routine agricultural practices may seem minor from a regulatory perspective, but on the ground, they translate into higher costs, reduced flexibility and barriers to long-term planning. Agriculture is not just another industry; it is the backbone of our region. When ordinances complicate basic operations — from livestock management to crop production — the consequences ripple far beyond individual farms. Local businesses, food security and our community’s rural heritage all stand to lose. Good policy requires collaboration. I urge our local officials to engage directly with farmers before adopting further measures that affect agricultural land and practices. By working together, we can develop solutions that protect the environment and community interests without undermining the viability of family farms. Our farmers deserve a seat at the table — and our community depends on it.
Dr Frank F During
River Falls Township
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The Star-Observer is a weekly newspaper established in 1854 covering St. Croix County, Wisconsin. HudsonStarObserver.com publishes new content daily. Our beat reporters are on the ground covering local government, schools, sports, business and culture.
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