Opinion ID: 4519330
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: State ROFR

Text: Regionally, Minnesota is governed by the FERC-approved regional transmission entity known as Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO). Id. “In accordance with Order 1000, MISO removed the federal ROFR provisions from its tariff.” Id. Thereafter, in response to Order 1000, Minnesota, along with other states,3 enacted a state statutory ROFR. Id. (citing Minn. Stat. § 216B.246, subdiv. 2). Minnesota’s ROFR law provides the following: An incumbent electric transmission owner has the right to construct, own, and maintain an electric transmission line that has been approved for construction in a federally registered planning authority transmission plan and connects to facilities owned by that incumbent electric transmission owner. The right to construct, own, and maintain an electric transmission line that connects to facilities owned by two or more incumbent electric transmission owners belongs individually and proportionally to each incumbent electric transmission owner, unless otherwise agreed upon in writing. This section does not limit the right of any incumbent electric transmission owner to construct, own, and maintain any transmission equipment or facilities that have a capacity of less than 100 kilovolts. Minn. Stat. § 216B.246, subdiv. 2. After MISO removed the federal ROFR and incorporated Minnesota’s ROFR into its tariff, FERC approved the tariff. LSP Transmission, 329 F. Supp. 3d at 702 (citing Midwest Indep. Transmission Sys. Operator, Inc., 150 FERC 61037, 61176 3 “In response to Order 1000, several states enacted their own ROFR laws.”LSP Transmission, 329 F. Supp. 3d at 701 n.3 (citing N.D. Cent Code § 49-03-02.2; S.D. Codified Laws § 49-32-20; Neb. Rev. Stat. § 70-1028; 17 Okla. Stat. § 292). -5- ¶ 25 (2015) (hereinafter “MITSO”)). LSP, a transmission company based outside of Minnesota, challenged MISO’s tariff. FERC, however, ruled that MISO is authorized to consider state laws in the regional transmission planning process. Based on FERC’s ruling, LSP requested a rehearing. LSP argued, in part, “that FERC should preclude states from enacting ROFR laws.” Id. (citing MITSO at 61176 ¶ 24). FERC subsequently denied LSP’s request for rehearing. Id. (citing MITSO at 61176 ¶ 25).