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Upcoming hearings

Tuesday, May 29 (6:00 PM)
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Certificates of Need

The Certificate of Need process was designed to evaluate the need for a large energy project in Minnesota. The evaluation is to determine whether or not as well as the alternative (including no-build) available to satisfy that need. Simply state, in the need process, the Commission determines the basic types of facility (if any) to be constructed, the size of the facility and the time of the facility (e.g. when projected to be in service). The process typically takes twelve months to complete.

Certificate of Need Process Chart for Large High Voltage Transmission Facilities



Docket Number Project Name Description of Project
CN-12-127 High Prairie Pipeline The High Prairie Pipeline Project is a proposed underground crude pipeline from McKenzie County, North Dakota to Clearbrook, Minnesota.  The Minnesota portion of the project is anticipated to be 75-miles in length.
CN-12-113 Hollydale 115kV Transmission Line Project The Hollydale 115kV Transmission Line Project is a proposed rebuild of 8 miles of existing 69 kV tranmission line to 115 kV and the construction of approximately 0.8 miles of new 115kV transmission line, constructing a new 115 kV substation, and modifying associated transmission facilities.
CN-11-471 Black Oak and Getty Wind Project The Black Oak and Getty Wind Project is an 82 MW wind farm proposed in Stearns County.
CN-11-332 Southwest Twin Cities Bluff Creek – Westgate The proposed project entails upgrading approximately 14 miles of 69 kV transmission line to 115 kV capacity and associated upgrades and additions. .
CN-11-826 Southwest Twin Cities Chaska The project entails the construction of approximately 3.1 miles of new 115 kV transmission line and changes in the operating voltage/configuration of approximately 10 miles transmission lines.
CN-11-112 Ellerth Wind The Ellerth Wind Project is a 98.9 MW wind energy project proposed to be located in Marshall County.
CN-10-694 Hiawatha 115kV HVTL Project The Hiawatha Project is two 115 kV HVTL proposed to be located in the Midtown Area of South Minneapolis.
CN-10-429 Prairie Wind Energy Project The Prairie Wind Energy Project is a 100 MW wind energy project proposed to be located in Otter Tail County.
CN-10-80 Prairie Rose Wind Energy Project The Prairie Wind Energy Project is a 100 MW wind farm and 24-mile transmission line located in Rock County.
CN-09-1390 Glencoe-Waconia HVTL Upgrade Project The Glencoe-Waconia HVTL Upgrade Project is a proposal to upgrade the existing Glencoe-Waconia 69 kV transmission line to 115 kV capacity and to add approx 9-miles of new 115 kV transmission line near the cities of Glencoe, Waconia and Young America.
CN-09-471 Elm Creek II Wind Project The Elm Creek II Wind Project is a 150 MW facility proposed to be located in Jackson and Martin Counties.
CN-09-937 Pleasant Valley
Wind Project		 The Pleasant Valley Wind Project is a 299.5 MW facility proposed to be located in Dodge, Olmstead and Mower Counties.
CN-09-1046 Lakefield Wind Project The Lakefield Wind Project is a 201 MW facility proposed to be located in Jackson County.
CN-09-1110 Paynesville Wind The Paynesville Wind Farm is a 95 MW facility proposed to be located in Stearns County.
CN-09-1186 Goodhue Wind Project The Goodhue Wind Project is a 78 MW facility proposed to be located in Goodhue County.
CN-08-944 Northstar Transmission Application to alternative permitting process for a proposed 10-mile 161 kV transmission line and associated facilities in Jackson County.
CN-08-961 EcoHarmony Wind Project The EcoHarmony West Wind project is a 200 MW facility located entirely in Fillmore County.
CN-08-992 Rochester 161 kV lines Xcel Energy proposes to build two 161 kV transmission lines in the greater Rochester area and the two lines will be approximately 17 and 25 miles in length. Parts of these lines will traverse Dodge, Fillmore, Mower and Olmstead Counties.
CN-08-185 Monticello Power Uprate The proposed project is a 71 MW increase in the electrical generating capacity of the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant.
CN-08-509
CN-08-510		 Prairie Island Uprate The proposed project consists of two parts: 1) A 164 MW increase in the electrical generating capacity of the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, and 2) A 35-cask expansion of the existing Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) at Prairie Island.
CN-07-1425 Bent Tree Wind Farm Wisconsin Power and Light Company intends to build a 400 MW facility in Freeborn County. This application is for the first 200 MW phase for the facility.
CN-08-334
CN-07-839		 Wapsipinicon North/ Grand Meadow 200.5 MW Large Wind Energy Conversion System proposed by enXco Development Corporation located in Mower County.
CN-08-951 Noble Flat Hill Wind Farm The Flat Hill project is a proposed wind generation facility of up to 201 MW and associated facilities, including an 11-mile 230 kV transmission line located in Clay County.
CN-08-785 Bitter Root/ Buffalo Ridge The Bitter Root project is a proposed wind generation facility of 138 MW located in Yellow Medicine and Lincoln Counties in southwestern MN.
CN-05-619 Big Stone II Proposal to build transmission facilities designed to deliver power from a proposed new coal generation plant near Milbank, South Dakota.
E2/CN-06-1115 CAPX Group I 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.
CN-07-1222 Bemidji-Grand Rapids The proposed project is a 68-mile, 230 kV transmission line from Bemidji to Grand Rapids, MN.
CN-08-253 Enbridge Pumping Station Expansion Enbridge proposed to construct additional pumping equipment at three of its existing pumping stations.
CN-07-464 Enbridge LSr The LSr project, in its entirety, is a proposal to construct 313 miles of pipeline, 20 inches in diameter. The proposal would run from Cromer, Manitoba, Canada to Enbridge’s tank farm and terminal near Clearbrook, MN.
CN-07-465 Alberta Clipper Enbridge’s Alberta Clipper project in its entirety runs 990 miles from Hardisty Alberta to Superior Wisconsin. The MN. portion of the project runs from the North Dakota border at Kittson County to the Wisconsin border at Carlton County.

Kilovolt (kV)
Megawatt (MW)
High Voltage Transmission Line (HVTL)

The documents associated with the projects may be viewed on eDockets & eFiling.   After clicking on the link to the left enter the appropriate docket number listed in the table above (bolded) into the “docket number” search criteria.  This will retrieve all documents that have been placed in the docket for the project associated with the entered docket number.  For example, if an individual wished to retrieve documents associated with the Big Stone II transmission line project, one would enter the number “05-619” for the docket number and search.