Proposed High Voltage Transmission Line Drawing Strong Opposition
A proposed high-voltage transmission line drew strong opposition during a Minnesota Public Utilities Commission hearing in Sherburn Thursday. The PowerOn Midwest project would bring a 765-thousand-kilo-volt transmission line from South Dakota across southern Minnesota, including Martin County, before ending in Dakota County. The project must receive a state Certificate of Need before moving forward. Representatives from Great River Energy say the line is needed to maintain electric reliability as power consumption is expected to increase by about 25-percent over the next 20 years. However, all 24 people who spoke during Thursday’s hearing opposed the project. Concerns included the impact on farmland, whether the line is actually needed, and the possibility it could attract large data centers to the region. Martin County Commissioner Richard Koons questioned the project’s benefits to southern Minnesota, saying local counties are losing population and the electricity would largely pass through the area rather than serve local needs. Another speaker, retired Xcel Energy employee Kent Scholl, argued that a smaller transmission project could meet near-term reliability needs with less disruption. Administrative Law Judge Joseph Meyer will issue a report with recommendations by February 15th. The Public Utilities Commission is expected to make a decision on the Certificate of Need around March or April of 2027. Comments can be submitted to the email consumer.puc@state.mn.us, mailed to Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, 121 7th Place East, Suite #350, Saint Paul, Minnesota, 55101, or faxed to 651-297-7073. The written form to fill out can be found at https://mn.gov/puc/get-involved/public-comments/.
