MN SF2296

Requires a certificate of need approved by the Public Utilities Commission for high-voltage transmission lines of 100 kilovolts or more in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area that filed route permit and certificate applications between June-August 2011 and June-August 2012, respectively, to rebuild approximately eight miles of 69 kilovolt transmission.

Certificate of need may only be approved upon clear and convincing evidence that no feasible and available distribution-level alternative exists to the transmission line.

Suspends routing proceedings for the transmission line until the Public Utilities Commission determines the transmission line is needed.

If the original certificate of need application is withdrawn or abandoned, this requirement applies to any similar 100 kilovolt or higher transmission line meeting the same needs and following a similar route.

Any certificate of need for a replacement line is not effective until 30 days after the regular legislative session following commission approval.