Just filed, Environmental Report Scoping Comments of North Route Group and NO765MN, and process comments too:

Hot off the press, well, yesterday… “PowerOn Midwest‘s” latest filing in the CN-25-117 docket states that “… the Applicants do not oppose Intervenors’ petition to intervene.” Good!

For your reading enjoyment, the CN-25-117 Application, there are also appendices, you can find them at the eDocket:

Here’s yesterday’s filing:

Unclear? Filed in BOTH dockets, specifically named both dockets in the Petition narrative… Oh, right… OK, whatever…

And of course they do not object to MISO intervening either.

On June 1, there’s the first Prehearing Conference, and we’ll have the schedule pretty much nailed down. Better yet, Discovery will be a happening thing! The applicants have the burden of proof in this Certificate of Need proceeding, and there’s a lot of info that we need, that they need, to show that this specific project is needed.

ONWARD!

Interesting filings today in PUC Docket R-26-172 — how can anyone oppose rulemaking, and how can anyone think it’s reasonable to route transmission and site generation without rules? The Public Utilities Commission is tasked with regulating utilities, and how does one regulate without regulations?

Here’s what has come in today — the deadline is 4:30 but I’ll have to hit the road soon — if others come in I’ll post later. This first one is choice:

The next two, not so much — how convoluted can they get?

And here’s what I had to say, on my behalf, and also clients North Route Group and NO765MN (CN-25-117 and CN-25-121) and the Andersens (CN-25-109), after seeing some of the comments:

Take a good look at what the legislature did to the rules. And those that say “renumbered,” click on those and you’ll see they were moved and repealed as well!

CHAPTER 7850, SITE OR ROUTE PERMIT; POWER PLANT OR LINE

PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

PartTitle
7850.0100[Renumbered 4410.7000]
7850.0200[Renumbered 4410.7100]
7850.0300[Renumbered 4410.7200]
7850.0400[Renumbered 4410.7300]
7850.0500[Renumbered 4410.7400]
7850.0600[Renumbered 4410.7500]
7850.0700[Renumbered 4410.7600]
7850.0800[Renumbered 4410.7700]
7850.0900[Renumbered 4410.7800]
7850.1000[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.1100[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.1200[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.1300[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.1400[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.1500[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.1600[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.1700[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.1800[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.1900[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.2000[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.2100[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.2200[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.2300[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.2400[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.2500[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.2600[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.2700[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.2800[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.2900[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.3000[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.3100[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.3200[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.3300[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.3400[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.3500[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.3600[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.3700[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.3800[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.3900[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.4000STANDARDS AND CRITERIA.
7850.4100[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.4200[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.4300PROHIBITED ROUTES.
7850.4400PROHIBITED SITES.
7850.4500[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.4600[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.4700[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.4800[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.4900[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.5000[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.5100[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.5200[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.5300[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.5400[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.5500[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]
7850.5600[Repealed, L 2024 c 126 art 7 s 15; L 2024 c 127 art 43 s 15]

AAAAACK! What a week…

May 5th, 2026

Six so far, one roaming around the tent, and five on the back of my neck at hairline. Weird, but at least that makes them easy to find!

Two important filings tossed out, now that’s different… and majorly depressing…

Car still in the shop…

And more transmission open houses — skipped Rochester this morning… on to Zumbrota!

But there’s a lot to be said about an office with a view!

Wedgewood Cove Golf Course, Albert Lea

PowerOn Midwest

PUC Docket CN-25-117 (western part of 765kV) — the meetings are wrapping up:

Comments due May 20th:

So many meetings this month, all over Minnesota for FOUR transmission projects “PowerOn Midwest,” and May will start out the same, it’s “Open House” season for “Gopher to Badger” May 4-7th… Both have meetings in Zumbrota — there’s some overlap, and of course, these are connected, it’s all one project.

Zumbrota – tonight Wednesday, April 29 at 5 or 6 pm, and Tuesday, May 5, from 4-6 pm

… and written comments are due May 20 by 4:30 pm. They’re looking for comments on:

We’ve got about three weeks to get comments in.

Yesterday was Albert Lea and then Austin. This evening, Zumbrota (yes, I’ll be missing Kasson, which starts about now).

The map on display shows the overlap between PowerOn Midwest and Gopher to Badger. What do those numbers in grey represent?

These are Public Utilities Commission’s meetings, “information and scoping,” and not hearings like they used to be. Here’s the full notice:

Double Tree in Austin

On to Zumbrota! 5 or 6 pm, be there or be square!