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Xcel Energy- <br /> 414 Nicollet Mall <br /> Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401-1993 <br /> September 6, 2011 <br /> --Via Electronic Filing-- <br /> Suzanne Steinhauer <br /> State Permit Manager <br /> Minnesota Department of Commerce <br /> Energy Facility Permitting <br /> 85 7th Place East, Suite 500 <br /> St. Paul, Minnesota 55101-2198 <br /> RE: NORTHERN STATES POWER COMPANY APPLICATION TO THE MINNESOTA <br /> PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION FOR A ROUTE PERMIT <br /> ORONO SUBSTATION REPLACEMENT AND NEW 115 KV TRANSMISSION LINE <br /> PROJECT <br /> ALTERNATIVE PERMITTING PROCESS <br /> DOCKET No. E002/TL-11-223 <br /> Dear Ms. Steinhauer: <br /> Northern States Power Company, a Minnesota corporation, ("Xcel Energy") provides <br /> the following comments regarding four alternative substation sites for the existing <br /> Orono Substation that were proposed during the Environmental Assessment scoping <br /> process for the Orono Substation Replacement and New 115 kV Transmission Line <br /> Project (the "Project"). Xcel Energy evaluated these four site alternatives and has <br /> concluded that these site alternatives are not reasonable alternatives to the existing <br /> Orono Substation site. <br /> The existing Orono Substation is located at 3960 6th Avenue North in Orono on a 16- <br /> acre site owned by Xcel Energy. This existing site is located approximately 900 feet <br /> west of the intersection of U.S. Highway 12 and County Road 6. The existing Orono <br /> Substation is a 69-13.8 kV distribution substation that Xcel Energy proposes to <br /> partially demolish and replace with a new 115-13.8 kV distribution substation as part <br /> of this Project. <br /> The four alternative substation sites for the Orono Substation were identified on <br /> several maps submitted via email to Xcel Energy on August 29, 2011, by landowner <br /> Michael Kuruvilla (Attachment 1) and by comments from Melissa Fogelberg at the <br />