Governor Dayton named administration law judge Beverly Jones Heydinger to be the new chair of the Public Utilities Commission. The post has been vacant since the Senate rejected Dayton's first choice, former Senator Ellen Anderson.

Some property owners are finding out they can fetch a better price than the government's early offer if they contact their own lawyers or appraisers.

North Dakota is suing to force the state of Minnesota to drop restrictions on coal-generated electricity, but big utility companies here have already conformed to the rules and say they're not interested.

Some residents were surprised and upset to learn that while they might own their land, they don’t own what’s under the surface. Laws dating to the 1870s allow the state to own the minerals under property owners' land. Gov. Dayton says the state is taking time out to reconsider the rules.

An administrative law judge says the CapX2020 project should cross the Zumbro River at the Lake Zumbro hydroelectric dam in Wabasha County. The Rochester Post Bulletin reports the 93-page ruling, regarding the 90-mile section between Hampton, Minnesota and Wisconsin, will go the the Public Utilities Commission for a final vote. Developers hope to complete the 700-mile project by 2015.

The city is warning residents to be on alert for companies going door-to-door that claim they have products that will stop or prevent emerald ash borer infestations.

Fourteen utility companies have submitted reports on the costs of complying with the state's call for more renewable energy. Of those, eight say it has had no impact or has actually saved customers a little money. Six say it has raised costs for their customers. The state wants a quarter of all electricity to come from renewable sources by 2025.

Many Minnesotans who live next to the CapX 2020 project worry it will tarnish their landscape and hurt their property values, maybe even their health, but because the project isn't touching their property, they aren't eligible for any compensation and have no power to negotiate.