The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission has responsibility and authority for the siting and routing of energy facilities, including power plants, transmission lines, wind farms, and pipelines.  For certain transmission line projects, local review and permitting is possible.  For these projects, a utility (or developer) may apply to a local unit of government instead of the Commission for a permit to build the project.

Minnesota Rules 7850.5300 details the procedural requirements that must be followed by local units of government and utilities/developers for the local review option.  These requirements should be reviewed before initiating a local review process.  A fact sheet on implementing these requirements is available here, Local Review Fact Sheet.

The following transmission line projects can be permitted through local review (Minn. Stat. 216E.05):

1. A high voltage transmission line of between 100 and 200 kilovolts;
2. A substation with a voltage designed for and capable of operation at a nominal voltage of 100 kilovolts or more;
3. A high voltage transmission line service extension to a single customer between 200 and 300 kilovolts and less than ten miles in length; and
4. A high voltage transmission line rerouting to serve the demand of a single customer when at least 80 percent of the rerouted line will be located on property owned or controlled by the customer or the owner of the transmission line.