DOE says it is holding HEARINGS, not meetings, on GNTL

Hot off the press, the DOE is holding DEIS HEARINGS for the Great Northern Transmission Line:

FINAL DOE Response Letter to Overland_June 23_2015_GNTL inquiry to DOE and MN DOC-1 (oops, didn’t post this one previously — and it’s the important one!!)

DOC with DOE_Letter – 20156-111735-01

The Minnesota Department of Commerce has taken to holding public “meetings” when there’s an opportunity to comment on a DEIS, but that’s NOT sufficient, and I’ve been raising that issue for years now, particularly in our rulemaking docket, Minn. R. Ch. 7850.  Here we have a joint EIS with the Minnesota Dept. of Commerce and the DOE’s Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability.

Here’s their joint initial filed notice, and notice the title:

Notice of DEIS Meetings FINAL DOC-DOE Approved (V-2)

With DOE involvement, I’d expected public hearings, and so filed a letter requesting public hearings.

Cover_DOE-Commerce_June 23, 2015

Seems the DOE is sensitive to the distinction between public MEETINGS and public HEARINGS!  Beyond that, I’m not real clear on what all this letter means, but I trust we’ll find out.

Thanks, DOE!