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Businesses of the Year

THUMBS UP: Congratulations to the two honorees selected for the New Ulm Businesses of the Year award at the New Ulm Chamber of Commerce annual meeting Thursday. Christensen Farms was selected as the large business honoree, and New Ulm Real Estate was the small business selection.

Both businesses have done outstanding work in their respective fields over a long time. Christensen Farms has developed over the years into one of the major hog producers in country, working with farmers on contract to produce high quality pork. New Ulm Real Estate, with its bright, enthusiastic style, has been a leading real estate office in New Ulm.

We look forward to honoring them when the Chamber holds its Business of the Year banquet later this spring.

Caution justified

SIDEWAYS THUMB: Area farmers who are in the path of a proposed carbon dioxide pipeline are justified in being cautious about signing away the easement right to their property. The underground pipelines would be buried under their fields as they carry liquified carbon dioxide to storage facilities in North Dakota.

At an informational meeting in Lamberton Monday, farmers and property owners were urged to look closely at any agreements, check their property insurance, and be sure to include mitigation agreements to cover any damage that might affect their property.

Carrying CO2 to North Dakota to be buried or stored has the laudable goal of reducing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, but farmers should be aware of the risks to their land.

Carbon free energy?

SIDEWAYS THUMB: Speaking of carbon reduction, the Democrats in the Minnesota Legislature are speeding along a bill, passed along party lines in the House, to ask all electric utilities in the state to use 100% emisisons-free energy by 2040. That is indeed a laudable goal, but there are a lot of questions as to whether it is feasible. Will there be enough green sources of reliable energy to make it work? What happens if there isn”t? How much will this energy cost? How much will utilities have to spend to convert?

Of course, technology will advance in the next 17 years, and may answer some of these questions. But there had better be some contingency plans in place in case the answers aren’t very positive.

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