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<br />AlTAC HMt /01 <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br /> <br />TO: Keith Berndt <br /> <br />FROl\-I: Tim Solbcrg <br /> <br />DA li,~: Nuvclllucr i, 2""B <br /> <br />SUB.fEeT: Encr~ transmission issues for Icgi:-;Iativc discu~sion <br /> <br />1 nere IS a great Oeal 01 matenal m relation to wmO energy aVaIlabtc. Kather <br />than go into all of the specifics of what we feel should be important f()J' our <br />locallcgislators to pursue I think it is sufficient to explain that a large issue <br />facing Cass County in this regard is the impact which transmission lines to <br />distribute wind power have to the landowner and regulating authorities and <br />how this impact may aftect future development in the state. <br /> <br />In the most recent casc of a transmission linc which was pursued and <br />constructed by Minnkota Power Cooperative, Inc. and Otter Tail Power <br />Company connecting a \vind farm project located around Luverne and <br />Pillsbury, ND to the ~.1aple River Substation in Fargo, ND, the landowners <br />and townships of Cass County were faced with an unfamiliar and <br />burdensome situation. Landowners were asked for casements on their <br />property to construct transmission linc towers and wcre not awarc how thcir <br />decisions may have affected their neighbors. Township supervisors were <br />asked f<Jr conditional use pcrmits to construct towers of which they did not <br />have the cxpertise to permit in paths which thcy were not fully comfortable <br />with. Furthermore, supcrvisors did not fully undcrstand how siting in their <br />townships would affect thc route of the line through their neighboring <br />townships. This all resulted in a less than ideal outcome to many involvcd. <br /> <br />Thesc issucs indicatcd a need in my vicw tor a morc centralized siting <br />process for cnergy transmission in North Dakota. With thc current trcnd <br />towards more renewablc cnergy, I belicve the State necds to be responsive <br />to this nced in a timely mattcr. Thc potential for wind cnergy in North <br />Dakota is well documented, which further indicates that development will <br />continue. Looking toward the future it is my hope that Cass County will not <br />have a scattering of zigzagged transmission lines duc to an uncoordinated <br />siting proccss, nor do I wish that North Dakota misscs out on the <br />opportunity f(Jl' continucd developmcnt of renewablc rcsourccs due to the <br />unnccessary amount of red tape that currently exists in the siting proccss. <br /> <br />C\Documents and Scttings\bcrndl\LocaJ SeltHlgs\TclIlporalY Intcmcl Filcs\OLKJC\KBrnclTlo legislative discllssion point 110508 doc <br />