In a move companies heralded for its potential to reduce grid congestion and offer lower cost renewable energy throughout the upper Midwest, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) recently approved upgrades for nearly 100 miles of transmission line.
Line updates will take place in both Minnesota and eastern South Dakota, which will consist of installing a second high-voltage circuit on two segments of the existing Brookings County-Hampton transmission line. Affected by the decision were Xcel Energy, Central Minnesota Municipal Power Agency, Great River Energy, Missouri River Energy Services, and Otter Tail Power Company.
“This project will bring low-cost renewable energy to millions of homes and businesses, supporting Xcel Energy’s clean energy vision and Minnesota’s 2040 carbon-free law,” Ryan Long, president of Xcel Energy-Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, said. “We thank the Commission and other parties for recognizing the value of this project, which uses existing infrastructure to decrease congestion on our transmission system while limiting the impact to landowners in the area.”
A new circuit will be placed on current transmission structures and run around 60 miles, stretching from the Brookings County substation near White, South Dakota to the Lyon County substation near Marshall, Minnesota. A second, 39-mile circuit will be built between the Helena substation in Scott County, Minn., and the Hampton substation in Dakota County, Minn. Xcel plans to begin work in South Dakota this month.
For the region itself, these upgrades could bring significant congestion relief, thanks to additional capacity. Wind energy from southwest Minnesota and eastern South Dakota will flow outward, meaning the market will gain additional energy without associated fuel costs. In the interim, though, power will need to be shut off along each segment of transmission line as it’s being worked on. Each segment’s construction should span several months.
Xcel said it should finish the overall project in 2025.
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