If you missed our earlier announcement, NextGen Highways and our Minnesota Coalition scored a major victory last month with the signing of the state’s omnibus transportation bill.
The permitting reforms contained in this bill represent a sea change in Minnesota’s landscape of energy infrastructure development and a big step towards the state’s long-term energy goals. The bill reduces and consolidates permitting requirements for energy projects, modernizes the permitting process under the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC), and prioritizes the co-location of new high-voltage electric transmission in state and interstate highway rights-of-way (ROW), reversing a decades-long prohibition.
The potential benefits of the bill’s reform measures extend well beyond their direct effects. The ROW co-location provisions, for example, can accelerate the development of new transmission infrastructure while reducing political opposition from landowners, environmental groups, and local communities. By encouraging the utilization of existing highway corridors, this legislation will minimize the environmental and community impact of new projects while lowering costs and streamlining the siting process. This is smart policy reform in action.
The Importance of Collaboration
What stands out most about this legislative achievement is the level of collaboration among various stakeholders involved in drafting and advocating for the language in the bill. A broad and diverse array of parties came together in search of common ground reforms to accelerate progress towards Minnesota’s clean energy goals. This process included utility companies, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), clean energy advocates, labor and environmental groups, and other stakeholders. NextGen Highways’ Minnesota Coalition played a proactive role in the process over the past year, bringing stakeholders together and helping to facilitate alignment on key issues.
Setting a National Example
The collaborative process that led to the final language in this bill exemplifies the NextGen Highways vision. Minnesota has set a very important example for how negotiation among the full spectrum of state-level energy infrastructure stakeholders can open the door to smart, effective policy reforms and move the country closer to a clean energy future.
Minnesota’s success demonstrates that effective collaboration and stakeholder engagement are essential for overcoming the complex regulatory and development challenges that often hinder energy infrastructure projects in states across the country. By aligning on common goals and values and working creatively through the inevitable differences and practical challenges, stakeholders can find innovative solutions that benefit all parties involved.
Looking Ahead
NextGen Highways will now turn its attention to convening and collaborating with Minnesota state agencies, utilities, and other stakeholders to consider existing infrastructure corridors for future transmission development. The Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) long-range transmission planning process will likely identify additional transmission needs for Minnesota, and state and interstate highways could be prime candidates for co-location.
The passage of this bill is just the beginning. As we move forward, continued collaboration and proactive engagement will be crucial to ensuring that our energy infrastructure evolves to meet the demands of a clean energy future. By building on the momentum of this legislative victory, we can pave the way for a more sustainable and resilient energy system not only in Minnesota but across the nation.