The Department of Commerce Energy Facility Permitting Unit prepares an Environmental Review for Certificate of Need proceedings before the Public Utilities Commission.  This site is intended for users to be able to monitor the environmental review process.  If you have questions concerning other aspects of the certificate of need proceeding or would like to be on the PUC project list, please contact PUC Staff Bret Eknes at 651-201-2236 or bret.eknes@state.mn.us.

The Public Utilities Commission references the Certificate of Need proceeding for this project as Docket No. ET-2,E002/CN-06-1115,  In the Matter of the Application of Great River Energy; Northern States Power Company (d/b/a Xcel Energy) and Others for a Certificate of Need for the CapX 2020 345-kV Transmission Projects. 

The CapX 2020 project includes three separate 345 kV transmission lines.  From the CapX 2020 web site:

"CapX 2020 (Capacity Expansion by 2020) is a joint initiative of transmission-owning electric utilities in Minnesota and the surrounding region formed to expand the electric transmission grid to ensure electric reliability for years to come ... The CapX 2020 utilities are entering into the regulatory and implementation phase of the project. They will begin seeking regulatory approval for approximately 600 miles of 345 kilovolt lines in Minnesota with short segments in North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Regulatory filings for a smaller, 230 kilovolt line in north-central Minnesota also are planned."

Click on a project to see an overview of the proposed corridors for the 345 kV transmission lines.

• Fargo, ND to St Cloud/Monticello Area 
• Brookings, SD to Southeast Twin Cities 
• Southeast Twin Cities to Rochester to La Crosse 

Individual Route Permit applications are expected for each of the three projects starting in 2009.  If you sign up on this site for the CN Environmental Review mailing list, we will notify you when those applications are filed and you'll be given a opportunity to be added to an individual project list.

To monitor further filings in this case, search using docket number 06-1115 at: https://www.edockets.state.mn.us/EFiling/search.jsp.