Gopher to Badger 765kV at PUC
April 14th, 2026
It was a LONG day at the Public Utilities Commission last Thursday, and here it is, almost Thursday again! The “Gopher to Badger” transmission line, PUC Docket CN-25-121, was #6 on the agenda.
Technically, what was at issue was “completeness,” whether the application was complete, but more important was a decision on what process to use. There seemed to be a concerted effort to push this project through using an “informal process.” Ummm, nope, over my dead polar bear!
North Route Group and NO765MN had a few things to say about completeness, process, and raising contested material issues of fact:
We’re not the only ones — about 150 comments came in. Listen up, PUC! That’s a lot of comments.
To look at the docket, go HERE and search for docket 25-121:
And an even more important longer term issue, that the Dept. of Commerce DER recognized, put in writing, that there’s more info that they want, in technicolor:
Staff briefing papers laid out, sort of, the issues, comments of parties, and staff recommendations.
Bottom line decision options:
Last minute additional decision options:
This last minute one is to assure our Petition to Intervene isn’t lost, trashed, or forgotten:
Most of these were not hills to die on, but ideally, 1, 6, 9, 11, 13 & 14, and add last minute 16 so we’re still in the mix. The most important was to avoid this absurd notion of an “informal review,” an idea that seemed orchestrated:
In what world is an “informal process” reasonable for a 100+ mile long (~145 in MN?) 765kV transmission line Certificate of Need proceeding? Guess again.
Commissioner Tuma made the motion for 1, 3, 7, 9, 10, 11 (with 60 days after written Order), 11a, and 16. Passed unanimously.
Little, but important, win – avoided “informal process” of #4, but maybe it’ll come up again, though #3 was clear on Thursday. CN-25-117 did move forward to contested case, and this is likely too, so it was said. Littler win — #3 Certificate of Need review is on hold until the route application is filed in the fall, and then we address process again (would have rather had the application referred for a contested case NOW, but oh well…) Another positive development is #11, that applicants will have to provide the info that Commerce DER wants within 60 days of the Commission’s written order. That’ll give us something to chew on.
During last of discussion, Commissioner Sullivan stressed the need to look at highway right-of-way, as provided by the 2024 legislative changes, Tuma too. Sullivan was also VERY clear that “this is all the same project,” that CN-25-117 PowerOn Midwest is directly linked to this CN-25-121 Gopher to Badger. Well, DOH!
But he was the only one adamant about it and not adamant enough. Historical, institutional, knowledge is missing, this is just like CapX 2020, a/k/a Grid North Partners. There’s no curiosity, and assumptions are made that it would be “confusing” to put the Certificate of Need dockets together. HUH? We’ve done it before, just look at the CapX 2020 Certificate of Need (CN-06-1115), not at all confusing. They’ve already consolidated into 117 is 118, 119, and 120, and consolidated into 121 is 122, so there are 6 MISO projects here, MISO 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26. What’s one more consolidation to pull it all together?
Note: Need arguments in these applications are the same, see below, look up Application Section 1.4 and Chapter 6 on need. Really, COMPARE:
Also check out Chapter 5!
We’ll have another whack at this apple.
Here’s the link to the meeting (eeeeuw, do I really need to look at this to get the link?) — we’re #6 on the agenda: