CapX 2020 utilities schedule open houses to provide information about transmission line proposals

ELK RIVER, Minn. (Sept. 4, 2007) —The CapX 2020 utilities have scheduled open houses in 10 communities to provide information to local residents and landowners who may be affected by a proposed high-voltage transmission line between Brookings, S.D., and the southeast Twin Cities.

Utility representatives will answer questions about the need for the new 345-kilovolt line and related facilities, advise attendees about how the public process works and answer any questions area residents may have. The utilities also will use the meetings to begin collecting information for a route permit application that will be filed with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission in mid-2008.

“The process for building new transmission lines is an open and inclusive one,” said Kevin Lennon of Great River Energy, project manager for the Brookings-Twin Cities line. “These open houses are our first opportunity to explain to people why the line is needed and to begin working directly with local government officials and landowners to help determine the best locations for the lines.”

The Brookings-Twin Cities line is one of three 345-kilovolt lines CapX 2020 utilities are proposing to meet future demand for electricity. Utility projections show that electricity use in Minnesota and the surrounding region will increase between 4,000 and 6,000 megawatts by 2020. The proposed lines also would significantly expand the ability to deliver renewable energy to electricity customers.

“The 345-kilovolt lines proposed by the CapX 2020 utilities will help ensure continued reliable electricity service in Minnesota and the surrounding region by upgrading and expanding the high voltage transmission network that is the backbone of the region’s electricity system,” said Terry Grove of Great River Energy, a co-leader of the CapX 2020 effort. “Additionally, the lines will strengthen the network so that more wind energy resources can be developed in southern and western Minnesota and eastern North Dakota and South Dakota.”

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission must approve two main applications before the lines can be built. The first application, filed on Aug. 16 and available at www.capx2020.com, asks the Commission to determine the lines are needed. The second, a route permit application, will be filed in mid-2008. Both applications require a rigorous public regulatory process and each takes approximately 18 months to complete.

Utilities involved in the CapX 2020 proposals will work with landowners, local government officials and interested parties to determine the best locations for the lines and use that information in developing the route permit applications. Significant public input is built into the regulatory process, including public meetings and hearings, on both need and routing decisions.

Along with Great River Energy, Elk River, Minn., and Xcel Energy, Minneapolis, utilities or groups that expect to participate in one or more of the CapX 2020 projects are: Central Minnesota Municipal Power Agency, Blue Earth, Minn.; Dairyland Power Cooperative, La Crosse, Wis.; Minnesota Power, Duluth, Minn.; Minnkota Power Cooperative, Grand Forks, N.D.; Missouri River Energy Services, Sioux Falls, S.D.; Otter Tail Power Company, Fergus Falls, Minn.; Rochester Public Utilities, Rochester, Minn.; Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency, Rochester, Minn., and Wisconsin Public Power Inc., Sun Prairie, Wis.

The dates and locations for open houses in the Brookings-Twin Cities study corridor are:

• Monday, Sept. 10, 3-7 p.m., Wind Energy Center, Hendricks, Minn.

• Tuesday, Sept. 11, 9 a.m.-noon and 3-7 p.m., Prairie Events Center, Marshall, Minn., coordinated with the Biennial Transmission Planning meeting ( www.minnelectrans.com)

• Wednesday, Sept. 12, 3-7 p.m., Kilowatt Community Center, Granite Falls, Minn.

• Thursday, Sept. 13, 9 a.m.-noon and 3-7 p.m., Max’s Grill, Olivia, Minn., coordinated with the Biennial Transmission Planning meeting ( www.minnelectrans.com)

• Tuesday, Sept. 18, 3-7 p.m., Redwood Area Community Center, Redwood Falls, Minn.

• Wednesday, Sept. 19, 9 a.m.-noon and 3-7 p.m., Arlington Community Center, Arlington, Minn.

• Thursday, Sept. 20, 3-7 p.m., Pla-Mor Ballroom, Glencoe, Minn.

• Tuesday, Sept. 25, 3-7 p.m., Park Ballroom, New Prague, Minn.

• Wednesday, Sept. 26, 9 a.m.-noon and 3-7 p.m., Archer House, Northfield, Minn.

• Thursday, Sept. 27, 3-7 p.m., Holiday Inn, Lakeville, Minn.