Dodge County Wind Project
Project Docket Details
| Docket No | WS-20-866, TL-20-867 |
| Project name | Dodge County Wind Project |
| Applicant | Dodge County Wind, LLC |
| Description | Dodge County Wind, LLC (DCW or applicant), a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, proposes to construct and operate a 259-megawatt (MW) wind farm in Dodge and Steele Counties and an associated 161 kV transmission line in Dodge and Mower counties. |
| Location | Dodge County, Steele County |
| Contact | Suzanne Steinhauer Suzanne.Steinhauer@state.mn.us 651-539-1843 |
| Status |
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Project Summary
Dodge County Wind, LLC (DCW or applicant), a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, seeks a permit to construct and operate an up to 259 megawatt (MW) wind farm in Dodge and Steele counties in southeast Minnesota (Docket No. IP-6981/WS-20-866). To connect the proposed wind farm to the electrical grid, DCW also seeks a permit to construct approximately 27 miles of new 161 kilovolt (kV) transmission line between a new project substation and the existing Pleasant Valley Substation in Mower County (Docket No. IP6981/TL-20-867). The proposed transmission line route is in Dodge and Mower counties. DCW filed applications for the site and route permits for the project with the Commission on September 14, 2021. DCW filed amended applications for a certificate of need and site permit on January 12, 2022, and filed an amended application for a route permit on January 14, 2022.
The proposed project revises an earlier proposal to construct a 170 MW wind farm in Dodge and Steele counties and connect that wind farm to the electrical grid at the Byron Substation via a 21-mile to 26-mile long 345-kilovolt (kV) transmission line through Dodge and Olmsted Counties (Docket number IP-6981/TL-17-308). DCW withdrew its original proposal in late 2019 due to greater than expected interconnection costs. Information on the earlier proposals for the 170 MW wind farm and the 345 kV transmission line can be found in the official eDockets record for each docket.
This webpage has been updated to link to the official eDockets record for the proposed site permit application and will be the main page for updates to the projects. A separate webpage is maintained for the route permit application and will link to the official eDockets record for the route permit application.
Latest News
The Department has established an advisory task force to assist the Deparment in identifying issues and impacts of local concern and potential mitigation measures, including additional route alternatives, for the 161 kV transmission line proposed by the Dodge County Wind, LLC (DCW). The tDepartment anticipates that the task force report will be filed in sprin 2023. The scope of the environmental assessment will not be issued until some time after the task force report has been filed.
DCW filed amended applications for a certificate of need and site permit on January 12, 2022, and filed an amended application for a route permit on January 14, 2022. On July 29, 2022, DCW responed to public comments and proposed three additional route segment alternatives for the proposed transmisison line. Two additional route segment alternatives were propsed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources during the scoping period.
This map depicts the pipeline alternatives being evaluated in the environmental impact statement for the Line 3 project. Users can move to different parts of the map by clicking and dragging the cursor to a new location. Users can zoom in and out using the scroll wheel of their mouse or by clicking on the plus or minus buttons is the viewer toolbox.
The map includes several data layers depicting resources that could be impacted by the project. These data layers can be turned on and off by clicking the box next the data layer name. The data layers extend for 10 miles on either side of an alternative. Some layers are visible at a small map scale (zoomed out). Other map layers are only visible at a large map scale (zoomed in). If you click to view a data layer and do not see the layer depicted, zoom in or out until it appears.
Key Project Documents
| Date | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 03/20/2023 | Commission Order Authorizing Task Force and Issuing Draft Site Permit | On February 24, 2023, the Commission issued its Order issuing a draft site permit for the wind farm component of the project and authorizing an advisory task force for assist the Department in identifying issues and impacts of local concern and mitigation, including additional route alternatives. |
| 09/01/2022 | Dodge County Wind Comments and Proposed Alternate Route Segments | In its July 29, 2022 filing responding to scoping comments, Dodge County Wind, LLC (DCW) proposed three additional route segment alternatives. DCW provided additional information on the proposed route segment alternatives on August 22, 2022. |
| 01/21/2022 | Dodge County Wind Amended Route Permit Application | On January 14, 2022, Dodge County Wind, LLC filed an amended Route Permit Application for a 161 kV transmission line in Dodge and Mower counties. This application supersedes the route permit application filed in September 2021 |
| 01/21/2022 | Dodge County Wind Project Amended Site Permit Application | On January 12, 2022, Dodge County Wind, LLC filed an amended Site Permit Application for an up to 259 MW large wind energy conversion system in Dodge and Steele counties. This application supersedes the previously filed site permit application filed in September 2021. |
| 12/31/2019 | Commission Order allowing withdrawal of transmission route permit application and suspending review of the certificate of need (CN) and site permits. | On December 5, 2019, the Commission granted DCW's request to withdraw its route permit application. The Commission also suspended its review of the CN and site permit, and directed DCW to re-file comprehensive and complete CN and site permit applications that address the associated facilties required to connect the wind farm to the electric grid. |