Public Service Commission Sets Hearings on Proposed JETx Power Line

On November 20 the North Dakota Public Service Commission announced a slate of hearings on the controversial JETx transmission line proposed by MDU and Otter Tail Power Company. The project would carry high voltage lines from Jamestown to Ellendale and has prompted a mix of questions about routing, land use and local impacts across southeastern North Dakota.

The commission scheduled two technical hearings in Bismarck to build the detailed factual and engineering record that regulators will use to evaluate the proposal. Three public hearings were also set for Ellendale, Edgeley and Jamestown to provide residents an opportunity to speak about community effects and preferences. Commissioner Jill Kringstad framed the dual purpose of the process in procedural terms. “The first is we’re building a legal record with all of the technical details so we can make an informed decision that’s based on the law. And equally important in my opinion is the second piece which is the public input portion of the hearing and that’s where we get a chance to hear from folks who live with this infrastructure in the community.” Kringstad said the technical hearings will be open to the public, but that public comment at those sessions would likely not happen.

For Stutsman County residents the hearings represent a pivotal moment. Technical sessions are intended to surface engineering details, map alternatives and document regulatory compliance, while the public sessions are where landowners, farmers, business leaders and civic groups can express support, objections or requests for mitigation. Questions commonly raised in such proceedings include placement of transmission infrastructure relative to homes and fields, easement terms, agricultural access during construction, and the visual and environmental footprint of new towers and lines.

The decision by the commission to hold hearings in both Bismarck and local communities reflects an intent to balance expert analysis with on the ground testimony. That balance will shape the legal record regulators must rely on under state utility law. Absent a shared technical understanding, disputes over route selection and compensation can lengthen the process and increase uncertainty for property owners.

Beyond immediate property and land management concerns, the JETx proposal sits within broader trends in regional energy planning. As utilities invest in transmission to improve reliability and connect changing sources of generation, communities across the Plains are confronting decisions about where new infrastructure should go and how benefits and burdens will be distributed.

Residents who want to take part should watch for official notices from the Public Service Commission that will include hearing dates, locations and procedures for submitting testimony. The commission will review the full record before issuing any decision, and the hearings will be the primary public forum for shaping that record.