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NSP: Hollydale Project
NSP: Hollydale Project
Transmission improvements and new substation for west metro area
Project Overview
Northern States Power Company, a Minnesota corporation (Xcel Energy) and Great River Energy (GRE), a Maple Grove-based electric cooperative, are proposing transmission improvements and a substation addition in the communities of Plymouth and Medina in the west metropolitan area of the Twin Cities to better serve current customers and meet expected electricity load growth.
The project involves Xcel Energy rebuilding approximately 8 miles of existing 69-kilovolt (kV) transmission line to 115 kV, constructing almost a mile of new 115 kV transmission line and building a new 115 kV substation (called the Pomerleau Lake Substation). Great River Energy will modify its Medina Substation to accommodate the project. The project is needed to address electric distribution concerns and to avoid feeder circuit overloads in the Plymouth area distribution delivery system. The project will provide increased distribution capacity in the Plymouth-Medina area.
The proposal requires a route permit from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. Xcel Energy and Great River Energy jointly filed a Route Permit Application (RPA) with the Commission on June 30, 2011, for the kV transmission improvements and new Pomerleau Lake Substation, called the Hollydale Project.
Regulatory Process
A route permit from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission is required before the project can proceed. Minnesota statutes and rules establish requirements for submitting and processing a route permit, including public notice requirements for various stages of the process. A certificate of need is not required for the project because it is not classified as a large energy facility under Minnesota statute. While the project is a high voltage transmission line with a capacity of 100 kV or more, the proposed route is not more than 10 miles long in Minnesota, and it does not cross a state line.
The commission has up to six months from the time the route permit application is accepted as complete to process and make a decision on the route permit.
Within 60 days after the commission accepts the application as complete, the Department of Commerce, Energy Facilities Permitting (EFP) staff, will hold a public meeting to provide information and seek comments from the public. The scoping meeting for the environmental assessment was held on Oct. 26, 2011. At this meeting, members of the public proposed additional route alternatives for consideration in the environmental assessment that the EFP staff will prepare. The routing process also considers land use and other potential routing impacts. Notice of the meeting, including information on the date, time, and location of the meeting, and deadline for public comments was published in local newspapers and sent directly to persons on the Commission’s Project contact list maintained for this Project and along the routes under consideration in the RPA.
The EFP staff created an Advisory Task Force (ATF) for the Project. The ATF met two times (Oct.18 and Nov. 1, 2011) and it then issued a report on Nov. 23, 2011. The ATF provided comments about the Project and recommended additional transmission routes be assessed in the environmental assessment.
After the environmental assessment has been completed, a public hearing (conducted by an administrative law judge from the Office of Administrative Hearings) will be held on the project. Any person may speak at the public hearing, present documentary evidence, ask questions of applicants and EFP staff, and submit comments.
- Route Permit Application
- Appendix A - MPUC Notice
- Appendix B-Maps B1- to B-16 Compressed
- Appendix C-Maps C1 to C23
- Appendix D-Public Correspondence D1-to D-8
- Appendix E- Lists, Notices, and Comments
- Appendix F- Maps F1 to F4 Compressed
- Appendix G- Summary of Wet land Resources
- Appendix H- Summary of Impacts
- Regulatory Process
- Energy Facility Permitting Comments and Recommendations Aug.16,2011
- PUC Route Permit Application Order Completeness, Aug. 25, 2011
- Advisory Task Force Structure and Charge, Sept. 15, 2011
- Energy Facility Permitting Notice to Agencies, Sept. 22, 2011
- Public Information Scoping Meeting Transcripts, Oct. 26, 2011
- Advisory Task Force Final Report, Nov. 23, 2011
- Environmental Assessment Scoping Decision Document, Dec. 7, 2011
- Scoping Decision Notice, Dec. 7, 2011
- New Landowner Notification, Dec. 8, 2011
Public Involvement
The permitting process emphasizes public participation in decisions on energy infrastructure. There will be meetings and hearings in the project area during the coming months. Notices will be sent to potentially affected residents/ landowners and local government officials, and will be published in local newspapers. This and other project information is also available at the Public Utilities Commission’s website available below.
Project Schedule
- August-September, 2010: project notice letter sent to Local Governmental Units (LGUs) and agencies.
- Fall 2010: Early discussions with LGUs.
- Sept. 15, 2010: First public information meeting hosted by Xcel Energy.
- Oct. 22, 2010: Landowner public meeting.
- Nov. 23, 2010: Second public information meeting hosted by Xcel Energy.
- Feb. 14, 2011: Notification of Intent by Xcel Energy and Great River Energy to file a Route Permit Application under the Alternative Permitting Process.
- June 30, 2011: Route Permit Application for the Hollydale Project filed with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.
- July 12, 2011: Published Notice of Filing of the Route Permit Application in two local newspapers.
- July 13, 2011: Project Notice of Filing of the Route Permit Application mailed to potentially affected landowners.
- July 22, 2011: Project Notice of Filing of the Route Permit Application mailed to potentially affected landowners.
- Sept. 19, 2011: The commission authorized the Energy Facility Permit (EFP) staff to establish the Advisory Task Force (ATF).
- Oct. 13, 2011: Energy Facility Permit (EFP) staff appointed nine people to the ATF.
- Oct. 18, 2011: The ATF met for the first time.
- Oct. 26, 2011: The EFP staff held a public meeting to determine the scope of the Environmental Assessment.
- Nov. 1, 2011: The ATF met for the second time and subsequently prepared a report issued to the EFP in late November 2011.
- Nov. 9, 2011: The public comment period ended concerning the scope of the environmental assessment.
- Nov. 23, 2011: The ATF issued its report entitled "Hollydale Advisory Task Force Report, Hollydale 115 kV Transmission Line Project".
- Dec. 7, 2011: The Energy Facility Permit (EFP) issued the Environmental Assessment Scoping Decision Document, and provided notice to the public of this decision.
Additional Resources
If you have questions about the project siting process or wish to receive written notices of the project milestones regarding the environmental review process and meetings, including notice of the availability of the Environmental Assessment. Please sign up for the project contact list at the energy facilities link located in the right column and by searching for the Hollydale Project or by contacting Mr. Scott Ek at the Department of Commerce who is the State Permitting Manager for this Project:
Scott Ek
Minnesota Department of Commerce
Energy Facilities Permitting
85 7th Place East, Suite 500
St. Paul, MN 55101
scott.ek@state.mn.us
651-296-8813 or 1-800-657-3794
651- 297-7891 (fax)
1-800-627-3529 or 711 (TYY: Minnesota Relay Service)
If you have questions about the Commission review process, contact Mike Kaluzniak at the Commission:
Mike Kaluzniak
121 7th Place East, Suite 350
Saint Paul, MN 55101-2147
mike.kaluzniak@state.mn.us
651- 201-2257
The Route Permit Application and project information are available online (See the contact list link located at the right column).
A copy of the Route Permit application is also available at the following public locations:
Plymouth Public Library
15700 36th Avenue North
Plymouth, MN 55446
Long Lake Library
1865 Wayzata Boulevard West
Long Lake, MN 55365
If you have questions of Great River Energy (GRE) contact:
Marsha Parlow
Transmission Permitting Analyst
Great River Energy
12300 Elm Creek Boulevard
Maple Grove, MN 55369
763-445-5215
email: mparlow@GREnergy.com
For more information contact:
