Case Name: State of NORTH DAKOTA; Industrial Commission of North Dakota; Lignite Energy Council ; Basin Electric Power Cooperative; The North American Coal Corporation; Great Northern Properties Limited Partnership; Missouri Basin Municipal Power Agency, doing business as Missouri River Energy Services; Minnkota Power Cooperative, Inc., Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. Nancy LANGE, Commissioner and Chair, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission ; John Tuma, Commissioner, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission ; Dan M. Lipschultz, Commissioner and Vice Chair, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission ; Katie Sieben, Commissioner, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission ; Matthew Schuerger, Commissioner, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission ; Jessica Looman, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Commerce, each in his or her official capacity, Defendants-Appellants.
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 2018-08-14
Citations: 900 F.3d 565
Docket Number: No. 16-4186
Parties: State of NORTH DAKOTA; Industrial Commission of North Dakota; Lignite Energy Council ; Basin Electric Power Cooperative; The North American Coal Corporation; Great Northern Properties Limited Partnership; Missouri Basin Municipal Power Agency, doing business as Missouri River Energy Services; Minnkota Power Cooperative, Inc., Plaintiffs-Appellees,
v.
Nancy LANGE, Commissioner and Chair, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission ; John Tuma, Commissioner, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission ; Dan M. Lipschultz, Commissioner and Vice Chair, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission ; Katie Sieben, Commissioner, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission ; Matthew Schuerger, Commissioner, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission ; Jessica Looman, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Commerce, each in his or her official capacity, Defendants-Appellants.
Judges: Before LOKEN, MURPHY, and COLLOTON, Circuit Judges.
Reporter: Federal Reporter 3d Series
Volume: 900
Pages: 565–570

Head Matter:
State of NORTH DAKOTA; Industrial Commission of North Dakota; Lignite Energy Council ; Basin Electric Power Cooperative; The North American Coal Corporation; Great Northern Properties Limited Partnership; Missouri Basin Municipal Power Agency, doing business as Missouri River Energy Services; Minnkota Power Cooperative, Inc., Plaintiffs-Appellees,
v.
Nancy LANGE, Commissioner and Chair, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission ; John Tuma, Commissioner, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission ; Dan M. Lipschultz, Commissioner and Vice Chair, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission ; Katie Sieben, Commissioner, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission ; Matthew Schuerger, Commissioner, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission ; Jessica Looman, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Commerce, each in his or her official capacity, Defendants-Appellants.
No. 16-4186
United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit.
Submitted: October 18, 2017
Filed: August 14, 2018
Thomas Henry Boyd, John A. Knapp, Brent A. Lorentz, Christina Rieck Loukas, Winthrop & Weinstine, Minneapolis, MN, Wayne Stenehjem, Attorney General, Attorney General's Office, Bismarck, ND, for Plaintiffs-Appellees for State of North Dakota, Industrial Commission of North Dakota.
Brian Raymond Bjella, Paul Forster, Crowley & Fleck, Bismarck, ND, Thomas Henry Boyd, John A. Knapp, Brent A. Lorentz, Christina Rieck Loukas, Winthrop & Weinstine, Minneapolis, MN, for Plaintiff-Appellee Lignite Energy Council.
Thomas Henry Boyd, Brent A. Lorentz, Christina Rieck Loukas, Winthrop & Weinstine, Minneapolis, MN, Casey Jacobson, Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Bismarck, ND, for Plaintiff-Appellee Basin Electric Power Cooperative.
Thomas Henry Boyd, John A. Knapp, Brent A. Lorentz, Christina Rieck Loukas, Winthrop & Weinstine, Minneapolis, MN, for Plaintiffs-Appellees The North American Coal Corporation, Great Northern Properties Limited Partnership.
Thomas Henry Boyd, John A. Knapp, Brent A. Lorentz, Christina Rieck Loukas, Winthrop & Weinstine, Minneapolis, MN, William Taylor, Taylor Law Firm, Sioux Falls, SD, for Plaintiff-Appellee Missouri Basin Municipal Power Agency, doing business as Missouri River Energy Services.
Thomas Henry Boyd, John A. Knapp, Brent A. Lorentz, Christina Rieck Loukas, Winthrop & Weinstine, Minneapolis, MN, Gerad Paul, General Counsel, Minnkota Power Cooperative, Inc., Grand Forks, ND, for Plaintiff-Appellee Minnkota Power Cooperative, Inc.
Michael Everson, Assistant Attorney General, Attorney General's Office, Saint Paul, MN, for Defendants-Appellants.
Before LOKEN, MURPHY, and COLLOTON, Circuit Judges.
Appellant Looman is automatically substituted for her predecessor under Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 43(c)(2).
Judge Murphy died on May 16, 2018, and thus did not participate in the final decision on this appeal.

Opinion:
LOKEN, Circuit Judge, concurs in the result.
PER CURIAM.
This appeal concerns an award of attorney's fees. In a previous appeal, this court held that portions of Minnesota's Next Generation Energy Act were unconstitutional.
North Dakota v. Heydinger , 825 F.3d 912 (8th Cir. 2016). On remand, the district court determined that the plaintiffs were entitled to attorney's fees and awarded them $1,310,088 in fees and costs. North Dakota v. Heydinger , No. 11-cv-3232, 2016 WL 5661926, at *28 (D. Minn. Sept. 29, 2016). The State of Minnesota, through its officers, appeals the award.
After the death of one judge on the panel, the remaining two judges have determined the matter under Eighth Circuit Rule 47E. There is no opinion for the panel, but the district court's order is affirmed. Judge Colloton's views are set forth in a concurring opinion. Judge Loken concurs in the result.
The Honorable Susan Richard Nelson, United States District Judge for the District of Minnesota.