OAH 15-2500-20995-2

PUC No.  E-002/TL-09-1056

 

 

 

STATE OF MINNESOTA

OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS

 

FOR THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

 

In the Matter of the Application for a Route Permit for the Fargo to

St. Cloud 345 kV Transmission Line Project

NOTICE OF

PREHEARING CONFERENCE

MAY 18, 2010

 

 

 

          This matter was referred to the Office of Administrative Hearings for a contested case proceeding, by Notice and Order for Hearing issued by the Public Utilities Commission on November 23, 2009.  The Public Utilities Commission has jurisdiction over applications for route permits for large energy facilities, including this transmission line project, pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 216E.02, subd. 2.

 

          At the time that the Commission’s Order was issued, the only party to this proceeding was the Applicant, Xcel Energy and Great River Energy.  The Department of Commerce, Office of Energy Security, Energy Facility Permitting Staff, has given notice of its intent to participate pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 216E.03. 

To date, no petitions to intervene have been filed with the Administrative Law Judge.  Persons seeking to intervene must file a petition, as set forth in the Order, below.

          Any person may appear at the hearings and offer testimony and exhibits without the necessity of intervening as a formal party to the proceedings.  The Administrative Law Judge may allow any person to ask questions of other witnesses.

Any person may view and print all documents filed in this proceeding, with the exception of trade secret information, through the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission website, by clicking on “search edockets,” and entering the year (09) and number (1056) for this proceeding into the “Basic Search.”

Advice concerning the procedures to be followed in this proceeding is available from staff attorneys at the Office of Administrative Hearings.  In addition, the Office of Energy Security Facilities Permitting staff has been authorized to name a public advisor.  Pursuant to Minn. R. 7849.5250, the public advisor is available to answer questions from the public about the permitting process.


ORDER

          IT IS HEREBY ORDERED:

1.               A prehearing conference will be held on May 18, 2010, at 10:30 a.m. at the Public Utilities Commission, 121 Seventh Place East, Suite 350, St. Paul, MN.

2.               Any person who desires to intervene in this contested case as a party shall file a written petition to intervene with the Administrative Law Judge and shall serve the petition upon all existing parties, as set forth in Minn. R. 1400.6200.

3.               Any party may object to the petition for intervention by filing a written notice of objection with the Administrative Law Judge within seven days of service of the petition, stating the party’s reasons of objection, and shall serve a copy of the notice of objection on all other parties and the person seeking intervention.

4.               The deadline to petition for intervention will be set at the prehearing conference.

5.               Immediately following the prehearing conference, an informational session will be held for all interested persons to explain the electronic filing system (“edocket”), and the process for parties to file information requests (IRs), typically used in lieu of discovery in matters pending before the Public Utilities Commission.  Familiarity with these processes is essential for any person who seeks to participate as a party to this proceeding.

6.               Any person who needs an accommodation for a disability or appointment of an interpreter to participate in the Prehearing Conference shall notify the Office of Administrative Hearings by May 11, 2010.

7.               This Order is being sent to all persons on the Public Utilities Commission service list for this proceeding.  Any subsequent service in this contested case proceeding will be limited to parties to this proceeding. 

 

Dated:  March 31, 2010

                                                                      s/Beverly Jones Heydinger

BEVERLY JONES HEYDINGER

Administrative Law Judge

 

 


 

Minnesota Office of Administrative Hearings

600 North Robert Street

Saint Paul, Minnesota 55101

 

Mailing Address:                                                                                                                                                                                Voice:   (651) 361-7900

P.O. Box 64620                                                                                                                                                                                     TTY:      (651) 361-7878

St. Paul, Minnesota 55164-0620                                                                                                                                                     Fax:       (651) 361-7936

 

March 31, 2010

 

 

 

To All Parties Listed on the

PUC’s Service List

 

 

Re:     In the Matter of the Application for a Route Permit for the

Fargo to St. Cloud 345 kV Transmission Line Project

                    OAH Docket No.  15-2500-20995-2

                    PUC No. E-002/TL-09-1056

 

Dear Parties:

 

Enclosed herewith and served upon you as listed on the PUC’s Service List is the Administrative Law Judge’s Notice of Prehearing Conference May 18, 2010, in the above-entitled matter.

                                                                      Sincerely,

 

                                                                      s/Beverly Jones Heydinger

 

                                                                      BEVERLY JONES HEYDINGER

                                                                      Administrative Law Judge

 

                                                                      Telephone: (651) 361-7838

BJH:nh

 

 

Encl.

 

cc:      Docket Coordinator

 


 

STATE OF MINNESOTA

OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS

ADMINISTRATIVE LAW SECTION

600 NORTH ROBERT STREET

ST. PAUL, MN 55101

 

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

 

 

 

Case Title:  In the Matter of the Application for a Route Permit for the

Fargo to St. Cloud 345 kV Transmission Line Project

 

OAH Docket No.  15-2500-20995-2

PUC No. E-002/TL-09-1056

 

 

Nancy J. Hansen certifies that on the 31st day of March, 2010, she served a true and correct copy of the attached Notice of Prehearing Conference May 18, 2010, by serving it as listed on the PUC’s Service List to the following: