The Minnesota Court of Appeals has upheld state regulators’ approval of a power company’s proposed $700-million natural gas power plant as being necessary and more reliable than renewable energy sources. The Aug. 23 ruling supporting construction of the estimated 525-MW Nemadji Trail Energy Center comes after a challenge from project opponents who said it would accelerate climate change impacts.
The three-judge panel said Minnesota Power and the state commerce agency “offered extensive evidence and analyses that ... transition to intermittent renewable resources impairs reliability” and could increase costs.