County board doubles down on opposition to Xcel power line

Any hopes Xcel Energy may have had of Renville County commissioners changing their minds on the utility’s proposed high-voltage power line were all but eliminated at a recent board meeting. If anything, the West Central Tribute indicates the southwestern Minnesota county’s top elected officials doubled down on their opposition, during the utility’s latest update on the project.

The Renville County Board of Commissioners remains opposed to a proposed route for a double-circuit, 345-kilovolt power line that, if chosen, would run through the heart of the county’s agricultural lands.

Pointing out that agriculture is central to the county’s economy, Board Chair Greg Snow told representatives of Xcel Energy that the commissioners will continue to oppose a proposed route that runs through the county.

“We obviously are going to fight this as far as we can. We need to for our people,” he said.

Xcel needs the line to transmit wind and solar energy generated in rural Minnesota in order to replace electricity from power plants that were prematurely shut down because of the state’s onerous climate mandate. The massive 180-mile long line from Lyon County to Sherburne County requires a 1,000 foot wide corridor and will take six years to complete.

Not surprisingly, Renville County commissioners see little up-side to allowing the utility to run roughshod over farmland to keep the lights on in the Twin Cities.

“Agriculture is at the bottom of the list, I feel,” said Commissioner Randy Kramer, who has farmland in the potential route’s path. “You’ve proven it by the route you’ve chosen here.”

The commissioner charged that the proposed Renville County route cuts across farmlands and will make it “miserable” for farmers along the route to continue their normal operations.

He also pointed out that Renville County would realize no economic benefits from the line, other than during its construction. It would provide no long-term jobs in the county.

Other than that, what’s not to like. There’s a second route also under consideration for the high-voltage line that would run through four different counties, bypassing Renville County altogether. By law, the Public Utilities Commission must select the route that causes the least overall disruption along the way.