70-301. Right-of-way; acquisition; procedure; approval.

Any public power district, corporation, or municipality that engages in the generation or transmission, or both, of electric energy for sale to the public for light and power purposes, the production, storage, or distribution of hydrogen for use in fuel processes, or the production or distribution, or both, of ethanol for use as fuel may acquire right-of-way over and upon lands, except railroad right-of-way and depot grounds, for the construction of pole lines or underground lines necessary for the conduct of such business and for the placing of all poles and constructions for the necessary adjuncts thereto, in the same manner as railroad corporations may acquire right-of-way for the construction of railroads. Such district, corporation, or municipality shall give public notice of the proposed location of such pole lines or underground lines with a voltage capacity of thirty-four thousand five hundred volts or more which involves the acquisition of rights or interests in more than ten separately owned tracts by causing to be published a map showing the proposed line route in a legal newspaper of general circulation within the county where such line is to be constructed at least thirty days before negotiating with any person, firm, or corporation to acquire easements or property for such purposes and shall consider all objections which may be filed to such location. After securing approval from the Public Service Commission and having complied with sections 70-305 to 70-309 and 86-701 to 86-707, such public power districts, corporations, and municipalities shall have the right to condemn a right-of-way over and across railroad right-of-way and depot grounds for the purpose of crossing the same. The procedure to condemn property shall be exercised in the manner set forth in sections 76-704 to 76-724.

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Annotations

The authority of a public power district to acquire right-of-way for transmission lines by eminent domain is conferred by this section. This section refers specifically and exclusively to the acquisition of "right-of-way over and upon lands" for the purpose of constructing overhead or underground transmission lines. It does not permit the acquisition of any other interest in land for any other purpose. The power of eminent domain conferred by this section reflects legislative intent that a public power district may exercise the power of eminent domain to acquire right-of-way over public lands. SID No. 1 of Fillmore County v. Nebraska Pub. Power Dist., 253 Neb. 917, 573 N.W.2d 460 (1998).

The procedure to condemn shall be exercised in the manner set forth in sections 76-704 to 76-724. Krupicka v. Village of Dorchester, 19 Neb. App. 242, 804 N.W.2d 37 (2011).