Plans are underway for a 150-mile St. Cloud transmission line in Minnesota, which is estimated at $970 million. Starting from6 an Itasca County substation, the line would run all the way to another substation in Benton County. Minnesota Power and Great River Energy are working together on the project, which is currently in its early stages of development. Both Minnesota electric companies will build, own and maintain the line, while working alongside the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission(MPUC).
Preliminary plans for the St. Cloud transmission line also involves replacing an existing transmission line starting at the Benton County substation. This line will continue onward to a new substation in Sherburne County, which is under construction in a separate project. By default, the project’s route is likely to follow the existing power corridors, but the exact route is still unknown. Especially since it is subject to approval from the MPUC.
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Timeline and expectations for the St. Cloud transmission line
The developers are planning to apply for a Certificate of Need and Route Permit from MPUC by late 2023. Therefore, this means that the MPUC has to determine the need for the power produced and finalize a specific route. Nevertheless, the developers believe that building this double-circuit 345-kV transmission line will support grid reliability in the Upper Midwest. The new line is estimated to be in service by 2030.
Minnesota Power’s transmission and distribution V.P, Dan Gunderson described the St. Cloud transmission line as a large-scale energy transition. He also mentioned that energy usage has been moving away from coal and going toward renewable energy across Northern Minnesota. As a result, this transmission line will play an important role in connecting multiple resources together.
Minnesota Power and Great River Energy will organize engagement opportunities for interested parties of the St. Cloud transmission line project. The electric companies plan to start coordinating with parties such as landowners, local governments, agencies and Tribal Nations by early 2023. Furthermore, this project community will be involved in open house meetings and workshops. Thereby, giving them the opportunity to ask questions and provide input on the project planning and routing.
