In March 2024, Dairyland filed a combined Certificate of Need and Route Permit Application with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) for the Wabasha Relocation Project. Minnesota law requires applicants to obtain a Certificate of Need and Route Permit from the PUC before a transmission line project can be built.   

The PUC and Department of Commerce have begun their formal review process which includes public scoping meetings, where landowners can provide feedback and offer additional issues for study and alternative route suggestions. 

Following the scoping meeting, the Department of Commerce will produce an Environmental Assessment. Once the Environmental Assessment is available, there will be a public hearing before an Administrative Law Judge where landowners can submit additional feedback regarding the Project. The PUC will review all public feedback and environmental analysis before issuing a final decision on the route, which is expected in 2025.

PUC Meeting Dates:
Virtual Public Meeting:
Tuesday, June 11, 2024, from 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Meeting Link

In-Person Public Meeting:
Wednesday, June 12, 2024, from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
St. Agnes Church Hall 
125 West Belvidere Avenue
Kellogg, Minnesota 55945 

Project Details  
The Wabasha Relocation Project will relocate about 14 miles of an existing 161-kilovolt (kV) transmission line between Plainview, Minn., and the Greenfield Township in Wabasha County, Minn. This line serves a critical role in providing reliable electric service to homes and businesses in southeast Minnesota. The project also includes building a new substation near the city of Kellogg, Minn.