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DOC EFP Staff Comments and Recommendations PUC Docket E002/TL-11-223 Page 3 The Project is located entirely within the city of Orono in Hennepin County. The Project will cost approximately$5.3 million dollars. State Regulatory Process and Procedures Minnesota Statutes § 216E.03, subd. 2, provides that no person may construct a high voltage transmission line without a route permit from the Commission. An HVTL is defined as a transmission line of 100 kV or more and greater than 1,500 feet in length in Minnesota Statutes § 216E.01, subd. 4. The proposed transmission line in the route permit application is an HVTL and therefore a route permit is required prior to construction. The route application was reviewed under the Alternative Permitting Process (Minn. R.7850.2800 to 7850.3900) of the Power Plant Siting Act (Minnesota Statutes § 216E). The Alternative Permitting Process is shorter than the full permitting procedures and does not require the Applicant to propose alternative routes to the preferred route, but does require the Applicant to disclose rejected route alternatives and an explanation of why they were rejected. Route Permit Application and Acceptance On June 7, 2011, Northern States Power Company, a Minnesota corporation (Xcel Energy or Applicant) applied for a high-voltage transmission line route permit to construct a new 115 kV transmission line and modifications to the existing Orono Substation Replacement and 115 kV Transmission Line Project in the city of Orono in Hennepin County, Minnesota. The Commission released an order on June 30, 2011, finding the route permit application to be complete and initiating the alternative review process. There was no Advisory Task Force established for this routing docket:- Public Information and Environmental Assessment Scoping Meeting The Department's EFP staff is responsible for conducting the environmental review for route permit applications to the Commission (Minn. Rules 7850.3700). Environmental review for a project of this size requires a public information/scoping meeting, development of a Scoping Decision and the preparation of an environmental assessment (EA). An EA examines the potential human and environmental impacts of a proposed project, alternative routes for the project, and potential mitigative measures. Minnesota Rule 7850.2300, subpart 2, requires notice of the public information and scoping meeting to appear 10 days before the meeting is held. On July 26 and 27, 2011, EFP staff sent notice of the place, date and times of the Initial Public Information and Scoping meeting to those persons on the project contact list maintained pursuant to Minn. Rule 7850.2300, subpart 1.B. Xcel Energy, on behalf of EFP staff, published the Notice of Public Information and Scoping Meeting in the in the Wayzata Lakeshore Weekly News on August 2, 2011. On Wednesday, August 10, 2011, EFP staff held a public information and scoping meeting at the Orono City Council Chambers in Orono, Minnesota.