Hearing set for New Prague on CapX 2020 power line proposal

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission will hold a hearing in New Prague on a Certificate of Need for a new high voltage electric power transmission line proposed from Brookings, SD, to the southwestern Twin Cities. Parts of the proposed line could be located in Scott, Le Sueur or Rice counties, with a possible substation included in the New Prague area. The exact route has yet to be determined.

In July, 2007, a broad study area was developed for routing and approximately 21,000 landowners were notified of the proposal.

The lines will require regularatry approvals from state agencies in Minnesota and South Dakota. Xcel Energy and Great River Energy are taking the lead in the proposal for the 650 miles of transmission lines. Great River Energy represents a number of cooperative power associations, including Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative and Steele-Waseca Cooperative. Other sponsoring utilities include Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency, which includes New Prague Municipal Utilities, Central Minnesota Municipal Power Agency, Dairy Land Power Cooperative, Minnesota Power, Minnkota Power Cooperative, Missouri River Energy Services, Otter Tail Power Company, Rochester Public Utilities and Wisconsin Public Power Inc.

The project is part of the CapX 2020 project, a long-range planning study. Three main lines are proposed, one from Fargo, ND, to Monticello, one from Hampton, in Dakota County, to LaCrosse, WI, by way of Rochester, and the final one from Brookings to Hampton, with a connecting line between Granite Falls and Marshall. Most of the lines will be 345 kV.

A public hearing will be held at 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 25, at the New Prague High School Commons, 221 12th Street NE. This is one in a series of 13 public hearings being held in cities along the proposed corridors between June 17 and July 2.

In addition to the public hearing the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission will accept written comments. These comments should be filed with the Administrative Law Judge by 4:30 p.m. August 22.

Following the public hearings, an evidentiary hearing will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, July 14, at the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission Large Hearing Room, at 121 Seventh Place East in St. Paul.

More information, including regulatory filings and applications, are available at www.capx2020.com. Information on the certificate of need process is availabe at www. puc.state.mn.us/index.htm, and information on routing and environmental review is available by visiting at www.energyfacilities.puc. state.mn.us.