western plymouth neighborhood alliance testimony

7/29/2019 Western Plymouth Neighborhood Alliance Testimony

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Testimony in Support of Senate File 716Western Plymouth Neighborhood Alliance

March 12, 2013

Plymouth area residents are grateful for Senator Terri Bonoffs leadership and the bipartisancollaboration of co-authors Senators Rest, Limmer and Osmek and Representative SaraAnderson, the author of a House companion to Senate File 716.

Senate File 716 would protect Plymouth area residents, property values and wetlands in theMinnehaha Creek Watershed District from harm that would be caused by construction of anunnecessary high voltage 115 kilovolt (kV) transmission line to meet local distribution needs.

Summary of Issues:

1. Xcel Energys proposed Hollydale high voltage transmission line is not needed. There isa feasible and available alternative (A2) that would meet Plymouth and Medina areadistribution needs by providing a new substation and underground, low-voltagedistribution feeders.

2. Xcel Energys proposed Hollydale high voltage transmission line through a denselypopulated suburban community would have serious adverse effects on residential homes,quality of life and property values.

3.

The proposed high voltage transmission line would have significant adverse effects onnatural resources, crossing thousands of feet of wetlands and flood plains and requiringconstruction of an estimated 16 power line poles in high value wetlands.


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1. Xcel Energys proposed Hollydale high voltage transmission line is not needed. There is

a feasible and available alternative (A2) that would meet Plymouth and Medina area

distribution needs by providing a new substation and underground, low-voltagedistribution feeders.

Xcel Energy Plymouth Load Serving Study (November 2010)

A2 meets the various criteria by which Planning Engineers compared each alternative.With respect to System Performance, A2 installs additional substation transformercapacity at one new location which is a greater distance than the substation under A1 from

the identified load center in the Focused Study Area. As a result, A2 requires longer feedercircuits than A1 to serve load, and therefore, is subject to greater exposure to conditionsthat could lead to line failures. With respect to Operability, similar to A1 [the high voltagealternative preferred by Xcel], A2 is an extension of the existing distribution system andprovides for a large number of standard options that could be quickly implemented undercontingency conditions.

Pre-filed Expert Testimony of Electrical Engineer Emmanuel Day for Western PlymouthNeighborhood Association (February 15, 2013)

I studied the Certificate of Need Application and the studies performed by Xcel Energythat are contained in Appendix B1 and B2 of the Application to develop an opinion onwhether the Hollydale 115 kV transmission line analyzed in these studies was reallyneeded. After studying this material, I concluded that the electrical system in thePlymouth and Medina area did need some improvements to serve future load, but that the

need for reliable electric power through the 2030 planning horizon reflected in theAppendix B studies could be met by implementing Alternative A2.

Alternative A2 includes construction of a new perimeter substation near the Interstate 494


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2. Constructing Xcel Energys proposed Hollydale high voltage transmission line througha densely populated suburban community would have serious adverse effects on

residential homes, quality of life and property values.

On Xcel Energys preferred route for the Hollydale 115 kV project, there are at least 62 homeswithin 50 feet and 289 homes within 200 feet of the high voltage transmission line center line.The following chart was provided by Applicant in Response to Western Plymouth NeighborhoodAlliance (Alliance) Route Permit Information Request (IR) No. 4:

Dayna Murray, Realtor with Keller Williams Premier, voted Best Realtor for 2013 in Plymouth,Minnetonka, Wayzata and Maple Grove, Public Testimony on March 6, 2013.

Whether or not there is scientific evidence that power lines are hazardous or not doesntmatter. The public perceives it as a risk and therefore their perception becomes reality forsomeone trying to sell a house. Days on market are increased and price is decreased.

I spoke with the other top four agents in our office. Their responses were very similar.Basically, they all moaned and then shared that they had all sold homes with power linesbut that they had taken longer to sell and received less money. Most said on average thatthe homes sold 10-15% lower.

I did look at a small sample of homes along the power line area of Kady [St. Michael,MN] Th d k f h h b ki h li 203


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3. The proposed high voltage transmission line would have significant adverse effects on

natural resources, crossing thousands of feet of wetlands and flood plains and requiring

construction of an estimated 16 power line poles in high value wetlands.

Applicants Response to Alliance Certificate of Need (CON) IR No. 19 summarized land coverand the number of poles that would be placed on sensitive land uses:

Pre-filed Expert Testimony of Benjamin Carlson, Arrowhead Environmental Consulting, forWestern Plymouth Neighborhood Association (February 15, 2013)

My overall assessment was that the transmission project affected a number of significantwater resources.

The Hollydale transmission line would cross approximately 11,800 lineal feet ofwetlands. Approximately 6,100 feet of these crossings have no adjacent road access.

The Hollydale transmission line would cross approximately 4,700 feet of wetlandswithin the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District. Approximately 4,050 feet of theMCWD crossings would be within the higher value wetlands classified as Preserveor Manage 1.

The Hollydale transmission line would cross approximately 2,560 of wetlands listedin the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Public Waters Inventory.

The Hollydale transmission line would cross approximately 5,300 feet of FEMA 100-


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4. The adverse impacts of a high voltage transmission line in the Plymouth and Medinacommunities could be avoided by selection of the A2 low-voltage distribution

alternative.

Pre-filed Expert Testimony of Benjamin Carlson, Arrowhead Environmental Consulting, forWestern Plymouth Neighborhood Association (February 15, 2013)

My assessment is that the proposed Hollydale transmission project has a number ofpotentially significant impacts on wetlands and water resources, particularly in the

western portion of the project, from the Medina substation to the Hollydale substation. Ifit is feasible to avoid this type of impact on natural resources through selection of analternative, I believe it would be desirable to do so.

Alternative A2 would avoid most if not all of the impacts on agricultural crop lands,wetlands and water resources that would result from the Hollydale transmission lineproject.

Dayna Murray, Realtor with Keller Williams Premier, voted Best Realtor for 2013 in Plymouth,Minnetonka, Wayzata and Maple Grove, Public Testimony on March 6, 2013.

As for underground power lines, Ive never even considered any aesthetic or health riskwith underground lines. As a Realtor, I have never had any buyer ask any questionregarding the power boxes that sit in the front yards of some of the homes. That is a non-

issue.


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5. Senate File 716 is critical to make sure that an unnecessary high voltage power line isnot built in the suburban residential communities of Plymouth and Medina.

There is unanimous community opposition to building a 115 kV power line if the facts show thata low-voltage distribution alternative can provide reliable energy to the Plymouth area.

Plymouth City Council unanimously adopted Resolution No. 2012-251 on August 14, 2012:

BE IT RESOLVED that the Plymouth City Council urges the Public UtilitiesCommission to refer the Certificate of Need proceeding for the Hollydale

Transmission Line Project, Docket No. CN-12-113, for a contested-case hearingto allow for a full fact-finding hearing to determine if there are other low-voltagealternatives that can provide reliable energy to the Plymouth community.

Public testimony at hearings on March 6 and March 7, 2013 unanimously supported a low-voltage (13.8 kV) distribution alternative as a feasible and prudent alternative to a 115 kVhigh voltage transmission line in the Plymouth and Medina area.

Unless SF 716 is enacted, there is a very real possibility that Xcel Energy will proceed with aroute permit for a high voltage 115 kV transmission line, even if the weight of the evidencesupports a low-voltage distribution alternative to meet energy needs.

On February 27, 2013, Applicants asked Administrative Law Judge Eric Lipman to delaycertificate of need hearings until the legislation is acted upon by the Governor or until itbecomes apparent that a route over 10 miles in length may be selected by the Commission.

Judge Lipman determined that both certificate of need and route proceedings should becontinued pending legislative action.


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Existing Residential-Scale 69 kV Power Line on Wooden Poles


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Example of Proposed Commercial-Industrial Scale 115 kV Power Line on Metal Poles

A li t ' R t Alli I f R t N 12


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Orchard Lane facing southCURRENT CONDITIONS*

Orchard Lane facing southFUTURE CONDITIONS*

Applicants' Response to Alliance Info. Request No. 12

Changes in Trees and Shrubs with 115 kV Line


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Hollydale CON - Carlson Direct - Schedule 11


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3/11/13

Walnut Grove Pond

CON Hearing 03/201310

Wetland Area

Barry Altman

Walnut Grove Pond

W l d A


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3/11/13

Walnut Grove Pond


Wetland Area

Barry Altman

Walnut Grove Pond

W l d A


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3/11/13

Walnut Grove Pond


Wetland Area

Barry Altman


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Hollydale Transmission Line -

Crossings Analysis

Arrowhead Environmental Consulting (AEC)

PWI ID Feet NWI (Cowardin) Feet MCWD (Classification) Feet Floodplain Feet Ag Field Crossing (Feet) Wetland no road access Feet

27-603W 650 PEMF 380 Manage 1 1405 100 -YR 550 1220 PEMCd 50527-602W 620 PEMCd 1260 Preserve 145 100 -YR 110 1945 PEMC/PUBF 430

27-601W 580 PEMCd 255 Manage 3 90 100 -YR 580 480 PEMCd 31027-461W 710 PEMC/PEMF 710 Manage 3 50 100 -YR 350 PFO1Cd 190

PEMCd, PSS1/EMC, PFO1Cd 1270 Manage 2 445 100 -YR 520 PEMC 205PEMCd, PEMFd 500 Manage 1 265 100 -YR (3) 320 PEMB/Cd 450PEMCd 575 Manage 1 970 100 -YR 1590 PEMCd 310PEMCd 415 Manage 1 430 100 -YR 405 PEMCd 990

PEMC, PUBF 430 Manage 1 770 100 -YR 735 PEMCd 475PEMA 105 Manage 3 65 100 -YR 140 PEMCd/PSS1Cd 780PEMCd 310 Manage 1 65 PEMCd, PFO/SS1Cd, PEM/SS1Cd 1485PFO1Cd 190

PEMC 205PEMBd/PEMCd 450PEMCd 310PEMCd 990

PEMCd 475

PEMCd/PSS1Cd 780PEMC/PFO1C 150PEMCd, PFO/SS1Cd, PEM/SS1Cd 1485

PEMCd 550

AEC 2560 11795 4700 5300 3645 6130

Barr NA 11894 NA 4564 3769 5596

Preserve 145

Manage 1 3905

Manage 2 445

Manage 3 205

Hollydale CON - Exhibit from Carlson Direct Testimony

western plymouth neighborhood alliance testimony

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