Proposed Xcel Substations and Powerline

Xcel Energy is proposing to build two new substations in South Minneapolis, one near Hiawatha Avenue and another near I-35W, connected by high voltage transmission lines.

They are in the process of receiving information, input, and comments from the community, and have held four open houses in the neighborhood.

I attended one of the open houses and there are two upcoming meetings that I wanted to let people know about, including another open house.

1. The Phillips Community Energy Cooperative (PCEC) would like to invite its members and friends to a community meeting about the project on Monday, January 12th from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on the 3rd floor of Plaza Verde, 1516 East Lake Street.

2. January 15th: Xcel Energy Open House Meetings 12:00 - 2:00 PM & 5:00 - 7:00 PM, 1516 E. Lake St. (Plaza Verde, 3rd floor). Xcel hosts open house meetings to provide you with information about the proposed Hiawatha Project and to give you an opportunity to share your views. This is also a good palce to ask questions.

Here's more of what the Phillips Community Energy Cooperative said in a recently release press release about the meeting on the 12th.

"Our goal is to bring together many individuals, organizations and neighborhood groups to facilitate a discussion considering this project and impacts. Many groups and individual citizens have not yet weighed in on the subject – mostly because they do not have the information needed to make an informed decision. The meeting on January 12th is intended to be a venue for open discussion, as well as an opportunity for the community to inform the decision-making process around this project.

We invite all to attend and be open to think about this project not from a pro or con perspective, but rather as an opportunity to be proactive about energy use in the neighborhood. We can work to continue conservation efforts in the community and help create a clean, green Phillips. Please join us on Monday, January 12th to be a part of this process and conversation. Free childcare as well as Spanish and Somali interpretation will be provided."

For More Information about the meeting contact: jeagles@phillipsenergycoop.com or call: 612-278-7120

While the Public Utilities Commission is the final authority regarding the line and the substations, I am pushing to require that the transmission lines be buried and also working to ensure that any substations that the PUC approves to be built are built in areas that will have the least negative impact as possible on any current housing or small businesses.