Questions to take to a public meeting
Before the meeting
Confirm the project phase, the body making the decision, and the current deadline in the official notice. Ask for a document and a page number for each answer.
Project and phase
Who decides, and when
1. Water and cooling
A useful answer includes
- Water amounts for the busiest day (the “peak day”) and for the year. The water source and the project phase.
- Water returned or consumed, the drought plans, and the utility’s study of how much it can supply.
Where to look
- Water-utility capacity study or service agreement
- Cooling-system description and site plans
- Water permit and dated operating reports
Your answer
Does a public record for this project give a water estimate for the busiest day (the “peak day”)?
YesNoNot knownDoes not apply
- Mark Yes when
- A source gives a peak-day estimate as a number, for the phase you are checking. This does not prove the supply is enough.
- Mark No when
- A source says outright that no peak-day estimate has been prepared for that phase.
- Mark Not known when
- You found only averages, company-wide totals, a source you could not open, or no clear answer.
Take care
- Keep forecasts and measurements apart.
- Do not rename all water use as water consumption.
Document and page
What they said
2. Power and carbon
A useful answer includes
- The site’s electricity use, the time period used for matching, and the grid region.
- The power projects, who owns the certificates, and when the promised new supply begins.
Where to look
- Site electricity or emissions report
- Utility supply agreement and power-purchase disclosures
- Certificate-retirement or independent verification report
Your answer
Does the project’s stated clean-electricity claim use hourly matching?
YesNoNot knownDoes not apply
- Mark Yes when
- The project’s accounting says outright that it matches use and generation hour by hour. Write down the region, the time period and the percentage actually matched.
- Mark No when
- The source says outright that this claim is matched by the year only, not by the hour.
- Mark Not known when
- The time period is not stated. Or the claim is for the whole company. Or a goal is given without a method.
Take care
- “Renewable” and “carbon-free” are different groups of energy sources. Name the sources that are counted.
- An hourly goal is a promise. A dated hourly result is reported performance.
Document and page
What they said
3. Generators and air pollution
A useful answer includes
- The final permit, or an agency’s formal finding that no permit is required.
- The equipment, the fuel and the allowed uses. The conditions on running hours, and the hours actually run.
Where to look
- Air-agency permit and equipment inventory
- Air-quality analysis
- Operating logs, emissions reports and inspection findings
Your answer
Is a final air permit public for the equipment you are checking?
YesNoNot knownDoes not apply
- Mark Yes when
- You have the issued permit, and it matches the named equipment and project phase. It does not prove zero emissions. It does not prove the rules are being followed.
- Mark No when
- The agency’s record directly shows one of three things. The relevant permit has not been issued, has been denied, or is no longer valid.
- Mark Not known when
- You have an application, a press statement, a record you could not open, or equipment not matched to a permit.
Take care
- If an agency documents an exemption, record it. Then mark this permit question “Does not apply.”
- Read the permit’s emergency rules. Do not assume one yearly limit on hours applies every time the equipment runs.
Document and page
What they said
4. Noise near homes
A useful answer includes
- The sound study for the site, the limits that apply, and where sound is measured.
- Where relevant, a review of low-frequency or tonal sound, and follow-up measurements.
Where to look
- Acoustic study and site plan
- Local noise rule or approval conditions
- Post-construction sound measurements and complaint findings
Your answer
Does an adopted rule or approval set a noise limit, as a number, for the site when it runs?
YesNoNot knownDoes not apply
- Mark Yes when
- The adopted rule that applies sets a limit as a number. Write down its units, where it is measured, the time period and any exceptions.
- Mark No when
- The authority in charge confirms outright that no such limit applies to the site.
- Mark Not known when
- You found only construction hours, a draft study, general promises, or a rule you could not verify.
Take care
- Do not use one national decibel cut-off to judge every site.
- A measurement that meets the limit does not show that nobody is disturbed.
Document and page
What they said
5. Power costs
A useful answer includes
- The adopted terms for four costs. These are making power (generation), moving it across the grid (transmission), delivering it locally (distribution), and connecting the site.
- Which customers the terms cover, the payment guarantees and the terms for leaving. Also any exceptions to how costs are divided.
Where to look
- Utility commission order and adopted tariff
- Approved service agreement and financial-security terms
- Utility cost study and later rate-case records
Your answer
Can you see approved terms saying which electricity costs this project must pay?
YesNoNot knownDoes not apply
- Mark Yes when
- Approved utility rules or an agreement apply to this project. Explain the protections and the exceptions. A Yes does not mean other customers face no risk.
- Mark No when
- The authority in charge confirms outright that no adopted document assigning this project’s costs (a “cost-allocation instrument”) applies. A proposal that is still pending does not show this by itself.
- Mark Not known when
- Only a promise or a draft is available. Or it is unclear whether the terms cover this project. Or key terms cannot be checked.
Take care
- “Pays its own way” needs an explanation for each cost.
- Tax revenue is one question. How the utility recovers its costs is a separate question.
Document and page
What they said
6. Decisions and commitments
A useful answer includes
- The current land-use decision and the exact condition being claimed.
- Who checks that the condition is met, when reports are due, and what happens if it is missed.
Where to look
- Council or planning decision, staff report and meeting minutes
- Permit conditions and signed agreements
- Compliance reports, amendments and appeal decisions
Your answer
Is the specific promise you are checking a condition that can be enforced?
YesNoNot knownDoes not apply
- Mark Yes when
- An adopted permit or agreement that applies contains that requirement and names a way to enforce it. Write down the exact condition.
- Mark No when
- The source says outright that the promise is voluntary, not binding, or still only proposed.
- Mark Not known when
- You cannot match the promise to an adopted condition. Or it is unclear whether the condition applies or how it is enforced.
Take care
- Choose one promise at a time. Do not answer for every commitment at once.
- Land use, air permits, water service and electricity approvals can each involve a different public body.
Document and page
What they said
What the answers mean
- Yes
- The cited record directly supports the exact question.
- No
- The cited record directly shows the opposite. Explain how narrow that finding is.
- Not known
- The evidence is missing, cannot be opened, conflicts, or is too broad to answer the question.
- Does not apply
- A documented reason means this question does not apply. Write down the reason and its source.
- Do not turn a missing document into No.
- Answer for the named project, phase and date.
- Use “Does not apply” only with a documented reason. One example is a permit exemption that an agency has confirmed.
- A Yes can show that something was disclosed or required. It is not proof of good overall performance.
Three kinds of evidence
-
Company statement
What a company says about its project, such as a design claim or a forecast of what will happen.
-
Adopted requirement
What an adopted decision or agreement that applies to this project requires.
-
Measured result
What was measured during a stated period, with a note of who reported it or checked it.