Legalectric

Did you know that the DNR has a Karst Features Inventory? Suffice it to say that this is an issue in southeast Minnesota! Wish this had been around during Nuclear Waste Daze, and it would have been useful for CapX 2020 transmission too!

DNR Karst Feature Inventory Points

I learned about this from a Public Utilities Commission meeting notice and the linked DNR Comments:

• MN DNR Comments 5-13-25
• MN DNR Comments Att 5-13-25

From the Comments:

Hydrology: Karst
A portion of the project is within a region prone to karst surface feature development and sinkholes have
been documented within and in close proximity to the Project. The Applicant should inspect the project
area for karst features before conducting any construction activities, and report any new karst features
to the DNR Karst Features Inventory. Excavation and the placement of footings have the potential to
encounter unstable conditions. We strongly recommend conducting a geotechnical evaluation prior to
construction activities given the substantial size of the pole structures. Please refer to the Karst Page
within the Minnesota Stormwater Manual for Best Management Practices when working in these areas
as well as further information on karst topography. Given the sensitive nature of working in an area with
karst features, the DNR recommends including a special permit condition requiring a Karst Survey Plan
prior to construction. At the first sign of any spill within or near a karst feature, the Applicant must
contact the Minnesota Duty Officer at 800-422-0798 or 651-649-5451.

Supreme Court allows Trump to cut $783 million in NIH research grants he targeted for DEI

It is SO wrong, yet, it’s real… Based on several of Trump’s Executive Orders, “going forward, the agency will not fund research related to DEI objectives, gender identity, or COVID–19. Nor will it continue the practice of awarding grants to researchers based on race.”

$783 million in National Institute of Health grants funding research is/was at stake.

Those Executive Orders are bizarre — just the headings reveal the absurdity:

• Exec. Order No. 14151 Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing, 90 Fed. Reg. 8339 (2025);
• Exec. Order No. 14168, DEFENDING WOMEN FROM GENDER IDEOLOGY EXTREMISM AND RESTORING BIOLOGICAL TRUTH TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, 90 Fed. Reg. 8615 (2025); and
• Exec. Order No. 14173, Ending Illegal Discrimination And Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity, 90 Fed. Reg. 8633 (2025)

Millions in grants were cut. The Supreme Court left those cuts in place, and the cases are going to continue winding their way through the legal system.

The first is the Supreme Court Opinion, followed by a mish-mash of concurrences and dissents. I strongly recommend reading Judge Katanji Jackson’s Dissent.

Date	Docket	Name	J.	Citation
8/21/25	25A103	National Institutes of Health v. American Public Health Assn.	AB	606/2
8/21/25	25A103	National Institutes of Health v. American Public Health Assn.	R	606/2
8/21/25	25A103	National Institutes of Health v. American Public Health Assn.	NG	606/2
8/21/25	25A103	National Institutes of Health v. American Public Health Assn.	BK	606/2
8/21/25	25A103	National Institutes of Health v. American Public Health Assn.	KJ	606/2

The language and “reasoning” of the Executive Orders reveals the Project 2025 focus of this administration, and that the Supreme Court regards actions based on those Executive Orders, agency “guidance” based on those Executive Orders, and the resulting withholding of grants is … I run out of words… “Wrong” will do…

There are so many crucial court decisions coming down, it’s hard to keep up, but I try to put them up here for reference.

Yesterday, an extremely detailed Memorandum Opinion written by The Honorable Matthew W. Brann, Chief United States District Judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania (a known Republican) was issued on whether Alina Habba “is lawfully performing the functions and duties of the office of the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey.” Bottom line? NO, SHE WAS NOT.

The challenge that raised the issue was one challenge, then joined by a second, to actions taken by Habba while acting as Interim United States Attorney, and though Habba’s actions taken were illegal, the charges against defendants Giruads and Pina, were not dismissed.

This is worth reading to get a feel for the contortions the Trump administration went through to put Habba in place, and to keep her in place. It’s a complicated web, and Judge Brann saw through it and explained in technicolor.

Yet another time the Trump administration’s balloon is popped. Trump’s minions can’t be disappearing the “Public Apportionments Database.” https://apportionment-public.max.gov

The Wayback Machine shows an interesting story:

Federal Court of Appeals upholds a July Order instructing them to restore the database, and what great language:

Here’s the initial District Court Order from July:

And the stay is lifted and they’ve got to get to it, though the substantive appeal plods on:

Appeals court orders Trump administration restore public funding tracker 

The Court of Appeals says, with more delightful language, beginning with:

And yes, progress. It’s gone from this:

To this, which is a start, but I took a look at 2025’s “Energy” and it’s a bit shy on details (!), no line items, so we’ll see if they do disclose specifics showing that the funds have been properly disbursed:

Here we go… It’s MISO Tranche 2, which means more transmission, and BIGGER transmission coming to Minnesota, and this is for the “Iron Range to Arrowhead” transmission line, the first Notice Plan and Exemptions Request of the bunch. Here’s the BIG picture:

To look up any of these projects, go to eDockets: https://www.edockets.state.mn.us/documents then plug in the docket number, i.e. 25-111 for this one:

Interactive Map for Iron Range to Arrowhead HERE!

The PUC dockets to plug in (and FYI, the MISO number from above, substations, and voltage) are:

• CN-25-109 MISO 20 – Maple River – Cuyuna 345 kV
• CN-25-111 MISO 21 – Iron Range – Arrowhead 345 kV
• TL-25-112 ” “
• CN-25-116 MISO 19 – Bison-Alexandria 345kv
• CN-25-117 MISO 22 – Brookings – Lakefield 765 kV
• CN-25-118 MISO 23 – Lakefield – East Adair 765 kV
• CN-25-119 MISO 24 – Lakefield-Pleasant Valley – N Roch 765 kV
• CN-25-120 MISO 25 – Pleasant Valley – N Roch – Hampton 345 kV
• CN-25-121 MISO 26 – N Roch – Columbia 765 kV Dairyland
• CN-25-122 ” ” Xcel

The project with the just filed Notice of Comment Notice Plan and Request for Exemptions is MISO #21, and PUC Docket E015/CN-25-111, from the Iron Range sub to Arrowhead sub.

And here’s the Comment Notice:

The “Topics for Comment” that the PUC lists is just one, about the Exemptions Minnesota Power (MP) and American Transmission Company (ATC) have requested:

But… but… but… where’s mention of the Notice Plan? Do check out the Notice Plan and if it’s deficient, let them know in your comment.

Send Comments to:

I highly recommend signing up for eFiling and filing them directly in the docket — that way others can benefit from your filing to help recognize and address issues. INSTRUCTIONS TO REGISTER (yeah, it’s over 20 pages, but there are screen shots to walk you through, and once you’re registered, it’s EASY to file.

p.s. Here’s a post (linked HERE) from over a decade ago predicting this mess of 765 kV transmission:

Thanks, American Clean Power Ass., f/k/a American Wind Energy Ass.

And yes, transmission and markets, or American Clean Power’s “Markets & Transmission,” — it’s all about money: