Legalectric

Downloading all, here ya go, Tranche 2.1 moving forward:

Applicants – PowerOn Midwest

MISO

Commerce-DER

LIUNA

Let’s see, PowerOn Midwest, MISO’s Tranche 2.1 on parade. Albert Lea 10am, then Austin on Wednesday (gotta admit, I fell asleep when charging my phone!); then Zumbrota at 10am, back home then off to Kasson yesterday evening. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. Handed out at close to 400 of these. Lots of time and not much done other than yack and yack. Lots of good questions, lots of the same questions, and lots of pointed “If you’re seriously concerned, GET ON eDockets!! NO EXCUSES!” That was the message of the day… days.

The crowds were… shall I say these were highly attended? 160+ in Albert Lea, 150+ in Austin, ? in Zumbrota, and 100+ in Kasson (weird place, in the middle of the County Fairgrounds).

I did learn something at the Albert Lea open house — I’ve not been tracking routing much as it’s Certificate of Need that’s ongoing now. What I learned is that is that there’s a proposed route, though in the narrower purple line, that is right below Myre-Big Island State Park! THIS IS MY PARK!!! We camp-hosted there, and spent so much time at Big Island, meetings with Doreen Hansen and Association of Freeborn County Landowners, hearings at the college:

You’d think they’d avoid a State Park? It’s also going through the Freeborn Wind project area, the landowners there getting hit again.

And speaking of viewsheds, here’s the poop… The blob of land where the “38” is, that’s Big Island, the campground is up against the water. I went to the park after the open house, killing time on the way to Austin…

From Google, here’s the Island, showing the campground.

Sites 1-5 are on that upper loop, along the road next to the lake. the furthest site, at that crossover is site, the camp host site. Sites 1-4 have the best internet on the island, have officed there many times, particularly during the Freeborn Wind fiasco (WS-17-410).

And at Site 1 way back when, before meeting Doreen Hansen, Association of Freeborn County Landowners:

Here’s what I found at Big Island. Standing at the lake by the bench across from Site 1 yesterday, though I had my directions off, and due south is a bit to the left. There was a loon just off the shore! And those lattice towers would be how far above that treeline? Impact on State Park viewshed, anyone?

Also, look at those protected areas south of the lake — I can’t imagine they’d really route it through this area, but knowing how this works, I’ll be taking a close look at the other route on the north side of Albert Lea, and on the lookout on other route issues proposed for this long route.

We’ll see how this goes. It’s not really time to look at routing, I’ve been working on rustling up participation in this Certificate of Need docket, and routing, that’s not a job for North Route Group and NO765MN, but it sure got my attention!!

Here we go, responses to Information Requests in PUC’s PowerOn Midwest Docket CN-25-117, MISO’s Tranche 2.1 765kV buildout – to view docket, go HERE and search for “25-117” for what’s been filed in eDockets:

Responses from Applicants:

READ THIS REPORT – p. 23-24 – IT’S PATHETIC!

Responses to Commerce IRs from Applicants & MISO:

MISO Responses to NRG & NO765MN

Last night was the first of two DNR meetings for Scoping of environmental review for the Talon Mine. Do the background work and send in a comment.

Comments must be received by 4:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 14, 2026.

The online option for comments is HERE. You can attach documents to the comment form.

Here are handouts from the meeting:

We had a good turnout. The process is concerning. DNR takes the list of those who’ve signed up for comments and randomly selects people to comment. WHAT?!?! They also stationed a court reporter to take comments in a separate area, privately, so we don’t know what people are saying, their concerns, and we can’t learn from those other folks.

The parking lot was FULL, so parked on the grass, and went in to the building. A big bunch of union folks dressed up on bright blue shirts were having a confab on the other side of the building. When they came in, they sprinkled the auditorium, strategically placed, not all in a clump. The crowd in the hall, signing in and talking to different DNR folks at different tables with different areas to cover.

Just after Joanne and I got in line (she owns property pretty much on top of the mine!), Paula Maccabee came by. She’s been on mining for a while, like ? a decade, maybe more?? She was the greeter, keeping on eye on everything, and handing out bandanas, the yellow stood out well in the auditorium, far outweighed the union bright blue:

And then I turned around to check out how many were in line, and right behind me is Don Arnosti! Here’s the Comment he filed with them. His basic premise makes so much sense. How can legitimate environmental review be completed when there is NO PLAN? That’s just bizarre. READ THIS:

This is supposed to be a cross section of what’s underground, but frankly, I think it’s a MRI of a couple of a cow’s stomachs, and here’s the description, note the “massive” aspects, at the DNR’s page: https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/input/environmentalreview/tamarack-nickel/2026-07-07-tal-scoping-eaw-figures.pdf

And about those “discrete sulfide blebs,” guess there’s some edumacation to do! Get to it:

• Draft Scoping Document
• Environmental Assessment Worksheet (December 2022)

Note the changes, fewer route options proposed on the poweronmidwest.com page, the “I-90” route has been eliminated, apparently. However, they can return, and other options can be added as well, it’s not over until it’s over.

Here’s the North Route Group and NO765MN Motion for Reconsideration of the amended Scoping Decision:

What happened? Well, on July 9, 2026, the Public Utilities Commission took up Objections to the Scoping Decision – info and video of the meeting here, it’s worth a look:

“SUFFICIENT INFORMATION” at this time?

Then, the written order came out, July 15, 2026:

The problematic part is in yellow, problematic because it shifts timing of production to NOW, before there’s a record (other than miscellaneous comments filed), before the contested case. This means that system alternatives can be rejected NOW, before we even get to the contested case, before they’re evaluated in the Environmental Report, AND, if not in the Environmental Report, system alternatives won’t be considered by the Commission. Well, we could try for a Supplement to the Environmental Report, but good luck with that! System alternatives need to be added to the mix NOW!

The Applicants have some time to respond to our Motion, and then it’ll be taken up by the Commission, it’ll take at least 3-4 weeks, what with a response, notice, etc.

ONWARD!