Public Service Commission grants final approval to JETx transmission line
The North Dakota Public Service Commission has granted final approval for the 92-mile JETx high-voltage transmission line, developed by Otter Tail Power and MDU Resources, spanning Dickey, LaMoure, and Stutsman counties. The project faced significant opposition from landowners concerned about property rights and the line's potential use for data centers, with many of these concerns falling outside the commission's jurisdiction. Opponents have a legal challenge pending before the North Dakota Supreme Court.
North Dakota utility regulators, the Public Service Commission, voted on Wednesday to grant a route permit for the JETx high-voltage electrical transmission line, a 92-mile project planned across Dickey, LaMoure, and Stutsman counties. The $406 million project, developed by Otter Tail Power and MDU Resources, aims to enhance the reliability of the region's electrical grid, connecting substations near Jamestown and Ellendale.
Despite extensive public testimony and concerns raised by landowners and communities about issues such as minimum setback requirements, eminent domain threats, and the potential for the line to be utilized by data centers, commissioners stated their decision had to be based strictly on existing law and facts. Public Service Commissioner Jill Kringstad noted that many landowner concerns fell outside the commission's jurisdiction, referring those matters to the state Legislature for policy adjustments. Commissioner Sheri Haugen-Hoffart reiterated that the commission applies, rather than sets, policy.
Landowners, including Lucas Wald and Tim Leppert, expressed disappointment but not surprise at the commission's ruling, citing a feeling of not being given a fair opportunity to voice their concerns. They highlighted insufficient setback requirements for high-voltage lines, noting the commission's order asserts state law supersedes stricter local zoning. The landowners are pursuing a separate legal challenge against the project, which is currently pending before the North Dakota Supreme Court after oral arguments were heard on Tuesday.