North Dakota PSC approves JETx powerline route permit

The North Dakota Public Service Commission approved the Jamestown-to-Ellendale transmission line, known as JETx, clearing the $406 million project after a June 24 route-permit decision. Commissioners Jill Kringstad said the board heard more than 20 hours of testimony and reviewed about 6,600 pages of documents for the 90-mile line. The commission found that utility companies Otter Tail Power and Montana-Dakota Utilities met legal permit requirements. The order requires dust-mitigation strategies and road-use agreements to accommodate farmers, while legal challenges continued during the process. A hearing on appeals and related disputes included claims tied to notice and the timing and jurisdiction of appeals, with a North Dakota House bill allowing the PSC to set zoning rules for towers within 500 feet of residences. The case is under advisement by Chief Justice Fair McEvers.