Legalectric

Here we go, the Initial Comments on the Iron Range-St. Louis County-Arrowhead transmission project:

Fresh Energy says:

Now that Fresh Energy’s Michael Noble and Allen Gleckner are stumping for Google, I wonder if they’d say that under oath!?!?!

What money can buy… June 21st, 2026

Will add Comments from others if/when they’re filed.

Remember when so many potentially affected landowners did not get notice of the Mankato-Mississippi River Transmission Project?

Public Hearings & NO NOTICE to 1,341 newly affected landowners May 11th, 2025

More on the 1,341 Landowners May 14th, 2025

Earlier today, a post came over the interwebs, TODAY, of a letter written by the Mayor of Faribault on June 3, 2026, “RECEIVED June 24, 2026” and posted in eDockets today, JULY 8, 2026:

The City of Faribault didn’t weigh in during the Hearings or Comment Periods, weren’t an Intervenor. But… NO NOTICE to 1,341 newly affected landowners. Did Faribault get notice? And if no official notice though, I do wonder how “the City” would not know of meetings and hearings in Faribault. I know I went to at least one at the American Legion, a VERY hot day, and I think it was… IT WAS! It was TWO YEARS AGO tomorrow, July 9, 2024!

And this letter filed in eDockets today? Well, the ORDER ADOPTING ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE REPORT AS MODIFIED, FINDING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT ADEQUATE, GRANTING CERTIFICATE OF NEED, AND ISSUING ROUTE PERMIT was issued April 14, 2026:

Inquiring minds want to know. Failure of Notice, Failure to Notice, or ????

Stumping for GOOGLE DATA CENTERS?!?! What a legacy for Michael Noble after 30+ years heading ME3 and Fresh Energy! What a legacy for Allen Gleckner who for more than a deade was head lobbyists (titles vary!) for Fresh Energy! What a legacy for RENEW Wisconsin and former PSC Commissioner Tyler Huebner!

Q&A: Michael Noble departs Fresh Energy with optimism for future of climate policy

And talking the talk 26 years ago:

Michael Noble, Minnesotans for an Energy-Efficient Economy

Oh, but wait, it’s not just Michael “Noble” who’s left for Google — Gleckner was at least honest about what he’d be doing, and though signing filings for Google, it took him a full six months to register as lobbyist for Google, just days before the PUC’s public meeting about the Google data center in Pine Island:

Thank you and farewell By Allen Gleckner | December 12, 2025

Ever since the 1994 Prairie Island deal and compensation for PIIC becoming the “Renewable Energy Development Fund,” and then the 2002 TRANSlink deal, we knew what they were, though we still don’t know their price. Here we have Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA), Izaak Walton League – Midwest (Wind on the Wires was Walton program then); Minnesotans for an Energy Efficient Economy (ME3, now Fresh Energy), and North American Water Office, none of them are intervening opposing transmission (and that’s not even getting into all the “grants” to advocate for coal gasification):

And then there’s RENEW Wisconsin & former Commissioner of the Wisconsin Public Service Commission Tyler Huebner also now stumping for Google:

In the Xcel Energy docket at Public Utilities Commission for an Electric Service Agreement (M-26-170) for electricity to power the Pine Island data center, a document was filed… but it’s TOP SECRET… TRADE SECRET… HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL… the ENTIRE document! All that was filed was this, with explanation why we can’t see it, ANY OF IT:

The Amendment has been designated as “Highly Confidential Trade Secret” in its entirety, as it comprises competitively sensitive contractually negotiated terms, that derive independent economic value from not being generally known or readily ascertainable by others who could obtain economic value or a financial advantage
from its disclosure or use.

Uh-huh… WAY too familiar… kinda reminds me of the Delaware IGCC’s “site plan” and “price” info filings at the PSC:

Getting caught up, and these four dockets are all tied together, so I’ve fired off this comment, because these should NOT be compartmentalized. So many people have asked me about electricity for the data center, whether the 765 kV lines of “PowerOn Midwest” (CN-5-117) and “Gopher to Badger Link” (CN-25-121) are connected, and what that Xcel’s Electric Services Agreement (M-26-170) for the Google’s Echo Zone data center means… I don’t have answers, just some hints, but it’s looking like it’s all connected.

Note I’ve filed this as an individual, and not in the course of representation of any party.