(Sherburn, Mn.)– Additional public hearings are being held on plans by ITC Midwest, Great River Energy and Xcel Energy to build a high voltage electric transmission line across southwest Minnesota.
Lori Buffington, a supervising manager for communications with Great River Energy, says this round of hearings for the Power on Midwest project is separate from those held this past summer and are being held by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission…
“They’re actually presided over by an independent administrative law judge. These hearings are part of the state’s certificate of need review and they’re important. They give members of the public an opportunity to provide comments and express opinions about Power On Midwest about alternatives to the project and the environmental report. And then after the hearings, the administrative law judge will put together a report summarizing the hearing record that will include those public comments that we heard at the hearing, and then they’ll make a recommendation to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission who ultimately decides whether to issue the certificate of need.”
One of those hearings will be held this Thursday, November 12th, from 10:00 am until 1:00 pm at the Fox Lake Event Center in Sherburn. Similar hearings were held earlier this week in Worthington and Windom.
Proponents say the new transmission line is needed to help ensure reliability of the grid as well as to help meet projected increases in demand for electricity in the region. The proposal has drawn concern, however, from some landowners.
