The role of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission
The Minnesota Public
Utilities Commission must grant two major approvals before
a transmission line can be constructed – a Certificate
of Need and a Route Permit specifying where the line
is to be routed. An environmental report is prepared by
the Department of Commerce, Office of Energy Security during the need
process and an environmental impact statement is written during routing.
For more information about the state regulatory process, click
here.
Certificate of Need
A Certificate of Need from the Commission is required prior
to building a high voltage transmission line. It determines if the proposed
transmission lines are necessary and what the appropriate size, configuration
and timing of the project should be. For more information on the Certificate
of Need process, click
here.
Bemidji-Grand Rapids 230 kV project
A Certificate of Need
application for the 230 kV transmission
line and associated system connections from Bemidji-Grand
Rapids was filed on March 17, 2008. It was granted on July
9, 2009.
Three 345 kV projects
Fargo-St. Cloud-Monticello
Brookings County-Hampton
Hampton-Rochester-La Crosse
A Certificate of
Need application for the three 345 kV projects was filed
on August 16, 2007.
A supplement to the Certificate of Need application
was submitted, providing the information required by the Commission’s
October 30, 2007 decision for the application to be accepted as substantially
complete.
The Commission referred the application to the Office of
Administrative Hearings and Administrative Law Judge Beverly
Heydinger. http://www.oah.state.mn.us/cases/250019350-capx2020/index.html
Administrative Law Judge Beverly Heydinger issued her report
to the Commission on February 27, 2009, recommending a finding of need for all three 345-kV
projects.
The Commission issued its written
order on May 22,
2009 granting the
345 kV projects' Certificate of Need with conditions.
The Commission issued its written
order granting and denying motions
for reconsiderations and modifying conditions.
Route Permit
A Route Permit from the Commission is also
necessary prior to building a high voltage transmission
line. Once a Route Permit application is filed, the Commission’s regulatory process
begins. For more information on this process, click
here.
Bemidji-Grand Rapids 230 kV
project
Brookings County-Hampton 345 kV project
Fargo-St. Cloud 345 kV project
Monticello-St. Cloud 345 kV project
- Route
Permit application – filed
April 8, 2009
- EIS
scoping decision – issued October 9, 2009
- Route Permit application, judge’s
recommendation – issued May
18, 2010
- Route Permit application, MN
PUC decision – granted July 8, 2010
- Draft
EIS – issued January, 2010
- Final
EIS – issued March, 2010
- Route Permit application, MN PUC written order – issued July 12,
2010:
- MN PUC approved route
- CapX2020 compliance
filing for Monticello-St. Cloud project outlines capacity,
owners and ownership structure – filed August 20, 2010
Hampton-Rochester-La Crosse 345 kV
project
