Just in, Notice of Prima Facie Determination and Order for Probable Cause Hearing:

Here are the Resolutions filed thus far by Counties and Townships affected by PowerOn Midwest 765kV transmission (PUC Docket CN-25-117) through their communities. Some are forms, fill in the blank even, and I’m hoping that there will be more individual ones filed — individually drafted filings have greater weight, greater impact.

Counties:

Townships:

Notice of the Agenda for the Public Utilities Commission October 22, 2026 meeting has two most interesting items. Briefing papers will be out before the 22nd.

The Xcel Electric Service Agreement is interesting because there’s a request to refer this for a Contested Case and to remove the redactions from filings. YES! How is the public to consider this if we don’t know what’s at issue? Some filings below.

The other is the Site Permit for Lemon Hill Solar, the first solar permit I know of where the ALJ Recommended denial (sort of like Freeborn Wind where we got a recommendation of denial, and then Xcel and the Commission went behind closed doors and changed “guidance” to allow “garbage in-garbage out” noise modeling.) Recommendation below.

Check out the ways that the Lemon Hill Solar project did not meet the siting criteria.

TWENTY-FOUR CENTS A GALLON?

$6.113 – $0.244 Federal Tax – $5.869

That’s no help.

STOP THE WAR!

Here’s E.O. 14435:

Today published in the EQB Monitor is news that the redone AUAR for the Hermantown Data Center has been released:

EQB Hermantown Data Center page

And the AUAR? It’s here:

Updated Hermantown Industrial AUAR project link provided by RGU

There’s a meeting scheduled, in person and virtual:

Tuesday, September 8, 2026

6:30 p.m.

5105 Maple Grove Road Hermantown, MN 55811

Virtual link: https://hermantownmn.com/community/calendar/

The EQB Monitor blurb says “End of objection period (for state agencies and Met Council only): August 25, 2026″

Is that reasonable? You might want to let the “Responsible Governmental Unit” know what you think of that limitation.

Responsible governmental unit and contact: City of Hermantown, Eric Johnson, 218-729-3600

What would I do? Oh, I wouldn’t let that stop me — I’d not look for permission. I’d send in comments anyway, to “City of Hermantown, Eric Johnson” and copy the EQB env.review@state.mn.us for their files, oh, and MCEA’s Abigail Hencheck and Jay Eidsness because they signed the Hermantown Complaint: ahencheck@mncenter.org and jeidsness@mncenter.org