Opinion ID: 1301361
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Consistency With State Or Local Law

Text: The third factor in the variance rule requires CenterPoint to prove that granting the variance would not violate local or state law. Minn. R. 7829.3200, subp. 1. It is unclear if the Commission considered the third factor, but we presume that the Commission found CenterPoint to have satisfied this factor. Ultimately, CenterPoint's variance request had to satisfy all three requirements in the variance rule. The Commission found that CenterPoint failed to meet both the excessive burden and public interest requirements, and as a result the Commission denied CenterPoint's variance request. Without question, the Commission's denial of the variance request is different from the result reached in the Commission's two prior decisions. When an agency seeks to deviate from its prior decisions, the agency must provide a reasoned analysis for the change. If a reasoned explanation is provided, we review that explanation to determine whether the explanation was arbitrary and capricious. Here, we conclude that the Commission provided a reasoned order which set forth the facts that the Commission found mandated a different outcome. In reviewing the rationale set out by the Commission, we conclude it was not arbitrary and capricious for the Commission to deny CenterPoint's variance request. Therefore, we reverse the court of appeals and affirm the Commission's order denying the variance request. Reversed.