Monthly Archives: January 2013

Not-so-Great Northern Transmission Line Comments

Comments were due today on Minnesota Power’s request for Exemptions from the rules governing content of Applications for a Certificate of Need for a transmission line.

map01

Look at the red on that map — potentially affected areas where MP is looking to put a transmission line.  WOOOOO-EEEE, that’s a lot of land!

Minnesota Power’s proposed Great Northern Transmission Line is inching along in the Certificate of Need process.  Here’s Minnesota Power’s site:

Great Northern Transmission Line page

And to look at the full docket, go to www.puc.state.mn.us, click on “Search eDockets” and search for 12-1163.  The application is expected sometime in March or so, but I’d guess it will be later.

Here’s how they plan to let people know about the project — it was filed a while ago, Comments were due, and I tried and tried to get people to comment, oh well, here’s what was filed about the Notice Plan filed in October and the Comments filed in November:

MP Great Northern Transmission Line Notice Plan

Commerce Comments on MP’s GNTL Notice Plan

Overland Notice Plan Comments

That’s sitting at the PUC now.  So where are we?  Just starting out…  Here’s a diagram of the hoops for the PUC process, edited a bit by yours truly for handouts at the meetings a couple months ago, we’re at the very first box in the chart:

puc-process-edited1

Today, comments were due on the Minnesota Power request for Exemptions from some specific rules, Reply Comments, that is.  Here’s what’s been filed:

Minnesota Power Exemption Request

Commerce Comments – Exemptions Request

MP Exemptions Reply Comments

Overland-Legalectric Reply Comments

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