Several Utilities Suing Tribal Group Over Power Line Access
Posted on May 2, 2011 in Land Use, Litigation, Project Development | Comments Off on Several Utilities Suing Tribal Group Over Power Line Access
Five utilities, including Minnkota Power Cooperative of Grand Forks, North Dakota, have filed a lawsuit in federal court arguing that the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe has no authority to stand in the way of a high-voltage power line that would cross the band’s Minnesota reservation. The five coops are part of a joint initiative of 11 utilities called CapX 2020 that are supporting five high-voltage transmission projects throughout the state worth a total of $1.7 billion. The Leech Lake Band, which is appealing state approval of the 70-mile power line, maintains it retains inherent rights through its treaties to prevent the project development. See the full story here.
