PSC REF#:150042 Public Service Commission of Wisconsin RECEIVED: 06/29/11, 8:42:52 AM June 29, 2011 Ms. Sandra J. Paske Secretary to the Commission Public Service Commission of Wisconsin 610 North Whitney Way, P.O. Box 7854 Madison, WI 53707-7854 Mr. David Siebert Director, Office of Energy Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources 101. S. Webster St P.O. Box 7921 Madison, WI 53707-7921 Joint Application for Public Service Commission of Wisconsin Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Utility Permit Hampton – Rochester - La Crosse 345 kV Transmission Project PSCW Docket No. 5 CE 136 Dear Ms. Paske and Mr. Siebert: Pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 196.49 and Wis. Admin. Code ch. PSC 112, Northern States Power Company, a Wisconsin corporation (Xcel Energy), Dairyland Power Cooperative (Dairyland), and WPPI Energy (WPPI) (collectively, the Applicants), submitted an application in the above referenced docket on June 29, 2011 via the Commission’s Electronic Regulatory Filing System for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, to construct a 345 kV line from Alma to a new transmission substation near Holmen. The Application contains the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Utility Permit Application as Appendix T. The Application incorporates all of the information provided during the completeness review in response to Commission staff requests. Attached is a list of files that were included in the electronic submittal. Under cover of this letter, we are separately delivering 25 copies of the Application to the Commission office and 2 copies to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources offices. We are also delivering one copy to each clerk and library as required by Wis. Stat. § 196.491(3)(a) and Wis. Admin. Code ch. PSC 111.51(4)(b)2 and 3 and to pertinent agencies. In addition to the printed materials, the Applicants have provided to the Commission, via electronic filing, the files that comprise the Application. If there are any questions, please contact Grant Stevenson (612) 330-6330 or me at (612) 330-6538. Sincerely, Tom Hillstrom CapX 2020 Permitting Lead Enclosure Cc: (all w/o enclosure) Bill Fannucchi – PSCW Ken Rineer – PSCW Dan Sage – PSCW ERF File Names and Descriptions - Joint Application for Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity and Utility Permit - Hampton – Rochester - La Crosse 345 kV Transmission Project PSCW Docket No. 5 CE 136 ERF File Names and Descriptions for Cover Letter and CPCN Application Cover Letter Cover_Letter_Joint_Application_CapX Table of Contents 1 2020_HRL_345_kV_Transmission_ Introduction and Overview 7.5 MB Project.pdf V17C Application Filing Requirements Part 2.00 ERF File Names and Descriptions for Application Appendices Filing Order File Name File Content Size Appendix A – Certificate of Public 2 Appendix_A.pdf 297 KB Convenience and Necessity Impact Tables 3 Appendix_B.pdf Appendix B – Topographic Maps 7.2 MB 4 Appendix_C_Part_1_of_2.pdf Appendix C – General Route Maps 8.9 MB 5 Appendix_C_Part_2_of_2.pdf Appendix C – General Route Maps 9.7 MB 6 Appendix_D_Part_1_of_2.pdf Appendix D – Environmental Features Maps 8.8 MB 7 Appendix_D_Part_2_of_2.pdf Appendix D – Environmental Features Maps 9.4 MB Appendix E – Transmission Studies Summary 8 Appendix_E.pdf Report 7.7 MB Appendix F – Mississippi River Crossing 9 Appendix_F.pdf 7.0 MB Analysis Appendix G – PDA for the Hampton- 10 Appendix_G.pdf Rochester-La Crosse 345 kV Transmission 518 KB System Improvement Project Appendix H – Environmental Impact Fee 11 Appendix_H.pdf 55 KB Tables Appendix I – Mailing List and List of 12 Appendix_I.pdf 123 KB Landowners Appendix J – Q1-Highway 35 Construction 13 Appendix_J.pdf 1.6 MB Plan Appendix K – Staging Areas and Substation 14 Appendix_K.pdf 3.6 MB Sites 15 Appendix_L.pdf Appendix L – Pole Diagrams 393 KB Appendix M – Route Development and 16 Appendix_M.pdf 508 KB Considered but not Proposed Routes 17 Appendix_N_Part_1_of_2.pdf Appendix N – Original Q1 Route Information 8.9 MB 18 Appendix_N_Part_1_of_2.pdf Appendix N – Original Q1 Route Information 2.6 MB Appendix O – Great River Road Visual 19 Appendix_O_Part_1_of_2.pdf 9.1 MB Assessment Appendix O – Great River Road Visual 20 Appendix_O_Part_2_of_2.pdf 1.7 MB Assessment Appendix P – Agency and Tribal 21 Appendix_P.pdf 9.8 MB Correspondence 22 Appendix_Q.pdf Appendix Q – Zoning Maps 1.4 MB 23 Appendix_R_Part_1_of_2.pdf Appendix R – Land Use Plans 6.7 MB 24 Appendix_R_Part_2_of_2.pdf Appendix R – Land Use Plans 5.0 MB 25 Appendix_S.pdf Appendix S – Airports and Airstrips 582 KB 26 Appendix_T.pdf Appendix T – Utility Permit Application 2.0 MB Appendix U – Electric and Magnetic Fields 27 Appendix_U.pdf 1.6 MB (EMF) Information Appendix V – Informal Discovery Requests 28 Appendix_V.pdf 8.4 MB from PSCW Staff Appendix W – Supplemental Connector 29 Appendix_W_Part_1_of_2.pdf 9.1 MB Information Appendix W – Supplemental Connector 30 Appendix_W_Part_2_of_2.pdf 8.5 MB Information Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity Application H a m p t o n ▪ R o c H e s t e R ▪ L a c R o s s e 3 4 5 k V t R a n s m i s s i o n p R o j e c t Public Service Commission of Wisconsin Introduction and Overview Docket No. 5-CE-136 Application Part 2.00 June 2011 Table of Contents Introduction and Overview A. Proposal Summary............................................................................................................................................................. 1-1 B. Facilities to be Constructed ................................................................................................................................................ 1-2 C. Purpose and Necessity ...................................................................................................................................................... 1-8 1. Community Reliability Needs ................................................................................................................................ 1-8 a. La Crosse/Winona Area ................................................................................................................................... 1-8 b. Rochester Area .............................................................................................................................................. 1-10 2. Regional Reliability .............................................................................................................................................. 1-11 3. Generation Outlet/Renewable Energy Support ................................................................................................. 1-12 D. Study Work....................................................................................................................................................................... 1-12 E. Route Development Process ........................................................................................................................................... 1-13 1. Mississippi River Crossing ................................................................................................................................. 1-14 2. Great River Road and Black River Floodplain ................................................................................................... 1-16 F. Long-Term Planning Considerations................................................................................................................................ 1-19 G. Owners ........................................................................................................................................................................... 1-19 H. Project Cost...................................................................................................................................................................... 1-20 I. Construction Schedule ..................................................................................................................................................... 1-21 J. Environmental Impacts..................................................................................................................................................... 1-21 K. Entities Affected By the Project ........................................................................................................................................ 1-21 L. Property Owners Affected ................................................................................................................................................ 1-21 M. Cost of Operation and Reliability of Service..................................................................................................................... 1-21 N. Correspondence and Pleadings Concerning this Application are to be Sent to:.............................................................. 1-22 O. Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................................................... 1-22 Information Requirements for Electric Transmission Lines and Substations ....................................................................... 2-1 2.1. Engineering Information ..................................................................................................................................................... 2-1 2.1.1. Type and Location of Line Construction Required ..................................................................................................