Nebraska regulators gave approval this week to a controversial 220-mile, $800 million transmission line through the state’s Sandhills, where farmers and ranches fought the Nebraska Public Power District project.
Public Service Commissioners voted 3-1 in support of the R-Project. One commissioner voted “present” while Commissioner Kevin Stocker was the lone opponent. The Power District claimed the line is needed and is crucial to relieve grid congestion and improve reliability.
“I recognize that the Nebraska Public Service Commission has limited authority over transmission line projects and is not responsible for establishing Nebraska’s overall energy policy,” Stocker said, “but since this permit requires a vote from commissioners, I will state the reasons for my opposition. First and foremost, the entire project is in my district, and currently the project does not have total support from the landowners who will be directly impacted.”
Nebraska Public Media reported many landowners have not signed agreements with NPPD. Landowners cite the fragile nature of the Sandhills and how the project could endanger the whooping crane and American burying beetle.
The Sandhills are considered to be the largest and most unspoiled grassland ecosystem in the Great Plans, according to a 2024 article by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Despite that, the legal team for the commission said the Power District has provided all necessary infrastructures waivers with phone, internet and railroad companies, allowing it to move forward. A Public Service Commission attorney said the commission is statutorily required to approve projects that meet requirements.
The case has struggled for 13 years and a lawsuit was filed in April by Sandhills ranchers and the Rosebud Sioux Tribealong with a nonprofit named Preserve the Sandhills. Their suit sought a preliminary injunction in the U.S. Civil Court of Denver. Permits were initially granted for the line through Nebraska and South Dakota, then were vacated in a 2020 lawsuit.
The Fish and Wildlife Service had approved a permit application filed by NPPD, which outlined a plan to minimize harm for the endangered American burying beetle, allowing the plans to move forward.
In a statement emailed to Nebraska Public Media News in April, a spokesperson for NPPD said the project “is desperately needed to improve reliability and reduce congestion on the Nebraska grid.” The utility said it followed all legal requirements in the Fish and Wildlife permitting process.
