OAH 15-2500-20599-2

PUC No.  E-002/TL-09-38

STATE OF MINNESOTA

OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS

FOR THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

In the Matter of the Application for a High Voltage Transmission Line Route Permit for the Hiawatha Transmission Project

ORDER GRANTING INTERVENTION TO HENNEPIN COUNTY

On September 1, 2009, Hennepin County filed a Petition to Intervene in this proceeding pursuant to Minn. R. 1400.6200. In support of its petition, Hennepin County stated that the Hiawatha Transmission Project is located wholly within the boundaries of Hennepin County, that Hennepin County has invested millions of dollars to develop the area that includes Xcel’s preferred route for the Transmission Project, that it owns property along the preferred route, that it has policies in place that may be affected by the Transmission Project, and that the routing, mitigation, construction and design may affect its interests. It also asserts that its interests cannot be adequately represented by other parties to the proceeding.

The current parties to this proceeding, the Applicant, Northern States Power Company, the Office of Energy Security, Midtown Greenway Coalition, City of Minneapolis, and Crew2, Inc., have not filed an objection to Hennepin County’s Petition for Intervention within seven days of service of the petition.

ORDER

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED:

1. Hennepin County’s Petition to Intervene as a party with full rights is GRANTED.

2. Hennepin County’s representative shall be added to the OAH Service List.

Dated: September 14, 2009

s/Beverly Jones Heydinger

BEVERLY JONES HEYDINGER

Administrative Law Judge