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A series of public hearings begins today on plans by Minnesota-based Xcel Energy and other utilities to build new power lines across Minnesota.

Paula Maccabee is an attorney for the Citizens Energy Task Force, a group that opposes the so-called "Cap X" project.  She said the power lines would carry power from dirty coal plants in other states.

"Minnesota has a preference that says you can't build a power line for a coal plant unless its not feasible to do the same thing with renewable energy. What Xcel Energy and the other ten utilities are saying in the 'Cap X' case is we don't have to look at that," Maccabee said.

A spokesman for the power line project, Tim Carlsgaard, said the new power lines will not run to coal plants. He also says renewable energy is a top priority for utility companies.  The first public hearing on the project is tomorrow in Moorhead.

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A series of public hearings begins today on plans by Minnesota-based Xcel Energy and other utilities to build new power lines across Minnesota.


Debate over new power lines

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