Barr prepared the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Minnesota Energy Connection project, a proposed 185-mile, 345 kV transmission line project. Our work supporting the Minnesota Department of Commerce’s Energy Environmental Review and Analysis (EERA) unit started with participation in seven public scoping meetings. We helped our client answer questions, explain the regulatory process, and facilitate public input on potential alternatives and impacts during preparation of the EIS.
During the scoping comment period, Barr catalogued over 400 comments and more than 60 route options. We reviewed the options and helped EERA determine which ones should be recommended for analysis in the EIS. We also assisted in drafting the final scoping decision.
Scoping resulted in more than 10 potential connection points between western and eastern routing options that were miles apart. To help interested parties assess the viability of the options and their potential combinations, Barr’s GIS and environmental team designed the EIS to study multiple route options in seven regions. To accommodate the remaining alternatives, we also completed equivalent comparisons for shorter route refinements. The EIS examined a range of human and environmental impacts, including aesthetics, greenhouse gas emissions, biological resources, human health and safety, and land-based economies.
The draft EIS was published in October 2024. For public hearings the following month, Barr created maps and other visuals and attended meetings to answer questions. The final EIS was published in January 2025; for that, we catalogued more than 1,400 unique public comments and prepared draft responses to each, which were finalized with EERA staff.
In February 2025, the administrative law judge decreed that the EIS satisfied the requirements set forth in Minnesota Rules and determined it adequate under state law. The Public Utilities Commission issued the route permit and certificate of need in June 2025. The Minnesota Energy Connection line is now under construction and is slated to start carrying electricity in 2028.
