Minnesota

Project

Description

Status

Great River Energy serves customers in Pequot Lakes, Pine River, Backus, Hackensack, Park Rapids, and the surrounding rural areas. Based on historic and projected load growth rates, the existing transmission system will not be adequate to maintain acceptable voltage levels, which may jeopardize power delivery in these areas.

This joint project with Minnesota Power includes 63 miles of 115 kV line being built in five segments. Great River Energy is building three of the segments; Minnesota Power is building the other two. See map of segments.

Individual fact sheets for Great River Energy’s segments are available below:

• Badoura Sub. to Long Lake Sub.
• Badoura Sub. to Hwy 371 (Birch Lake tie switch)
• Hwy 371 (Birch Lake tie switch) to Birch Lake Sub.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission issued a route permit for the Badoura project on October 31, 2007. Great River Energy has completed project design, easement acquisition, and environmental permitting for the Badoura Sub. to Long Lake Sub. segment. Construction is underway for that segment. Great River Energy's other two segments will be built in early 2010.

Great River Energy submitted a route permit application on March 14, 2007.

To continue to meet increasing demand for electricity in the townships of LeSauk, St. Wendel, St. Joseph, and the cities of Sartell, Waite Park, St. Joseph and St. Cloud, Great River Energy, along with Stearns Electric Association, propose to increase the voltage capacity of the existing LeSauk distribution substation and build approximately 2.4 miles of 115 kV transmission line to serve the modified LeSauk distribution substation and a new distribution substation in Sartell, which will be built by Stearns Electric Association.

An open house public meeting was held March 24, 2009 at Sartell City Hall to discuss the project and answer questions. Permitting will be conducted locally through Stearns County, the local governing authority, in accordance with State Permitting Rules. A Conditional Use Permit application was submitted to the Stearns County Environmental Services office April 9, 2009; the application will be brought before the Stearns County Planning Commission at a public hearing on June 18, 2009. An Environmental Assessment report has been developed by Stearns County.

Great River Energy and Xcel Energy are upgrading eight miles of 69 kV line to 115 kV. Great River Energy is proposing to construct the new Stoney Creek 115/69 kV substation and Xcel Energy is proposing to construct a new South Bend 161/115/69 kV substation. The project is needed to increase reliability in and around Mankato.

The Public Utilities Commission approved the proposed route and issued a Route Permit April 21, 2009. Great River Energy is constructing the Stoney Creek substation and Xcel has started their work.

Itasca-Mantrap Cooperative Electrical Association (Itasca-Mantrap) is an electric service provider in Hubbard County, Minnesota. Because this area has seen unprecedented growth in demand for electricity in the recent years, Itasca-Mantrap is planning to build a new substation to meet increasing electrical needs.

Permitting approval (a zoning permit) was obtained locally through Akeley Township. Construction is complete. Final restoration will occur spring 2009.

Great River Energy, power supplier to Crow Wing Power, proposes building a nine-mile 115 kV transmission line to provide a connection between an existing 115 kV line located in southern Baxter and the proposed Minnesota Power Scearcyville 115 kV Breaker Station located in the north portion of Sylvan Township, east of County State Aid Highway 18.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission issued a route permit for the Southdale to Scearcyville 115 kV project on March 19, 2009. The "modified" Alternative Route C was approved by the Commission. Surveying along the new route has begun, which will be followed by easement acquisition. Construction is anticipated to begin early in 2010.

Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative is the electric service provider in and around Jordan, Minnesota. Because this area has seen unprecedented growth in both the residential and commercial sectors in recent years, MVEC is planning to build a new St. Lawrence Substation to meet increasing electrical needs.

Great River Energy received approval for the project (a conditional use permit) from Scott County in February 2008. The project is on hold based on lower than expected load needs in the area.

Great River Energy serves customers in the Vermilion Lake area, Tower, Ely, Winton, Babbitt, and the surrounding rural areas. Based on historic and projected load growth rates, the existing 46 kV transmission system will not be adequate to maintain acceptable voltage levels, which may jeopardize power delivery in these areas.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission issued a route permit for the Tower project on August 1, 2007. The eastern route proposed by the citizens was permitted by the Commission. Line construction is complete; Minnesota Power is constructing the substation and switching station. The project will be energized by fall 2009.

Great River Energy and Lake Country Power are proposing to upgrade the electrical delivery system in northeastern Minnesota. The demand for electrical energy is rapidly increasing due to growth and conversions to dual fuel heating. This demand is particularly high from Tower to Orr. This area is currently fed by a lower voltage distribution system that is quickly reaching its capacity. During peak winter demand, this system becomes strained and reliable electric service is jeopardized. To meet this demand Great River Energy proposes to construct about 40 miles of 69,000 volt (69 kV) transmission line and expand its Cook Substation and Lake Country Power proposes to construct two substations along the new line.

Great River Energy is working on this large need in three sections and fact sheets for each are available below:

• Tower to Frazer Bay
• Frazer Bay to Cook
• Cook to Orr

See map of all three segments.

Public meetings: A public informational meeting for the Tower to Frazer Bay segment was held on April 27, 2009, at the Greenwood Township Hall.

Permitting: Conditional Use Permits were granted by St. Louis County and Greenwood Township on June 11, 2009 and June 15, 2009, respectively.

Project review request letters were sent out to the DNR, Corps of Engineers, and MNDOT Aeronautics on May 4, 2009. A literature review of cultural resources in the project area is underway.

Easements: Easement acquisition for the Tower-to-Frazer Bay and Cook-to-Orr segments will commence in summer/fall 2009.

Survey on the Frazer Bay and Cook segment will begin in 2010 with easement acquisition to follow in 2010-2011. Construction is not anticipated until late 2011 and 2012.

Great River Energy serves customers in Crow Wing County, the rapidly growing Lake Mille Lacs area and surrounding rural areas. The new transmission line is needed to meet increasing demand.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved the certificate of need and route permit for the project on January 25, 2007. Project construction is complete. Final restoration will occur spring 2009.

Great River Energy, Dakota Electric Association and Xcel Energy have proposed upgrades to the existing transmission system serving the City of Eagan service area. A number of facilities will be upgraded, including segments of transmission line from the Yankee Doodle Substation south, through the Eagan Substation, to the Pilot Knob Substation.

Great River Energy is proposing to rebuild approximately one mile of Xcel Energy’s existing single circuit 115 kV transmission line to a double circuit, 115/115 kV line from Yankee Doodle Substation south to Wescott Road. Xcel Energy will own the poles and one circuit that will operate at 115 kV and Great River Energy will own the other circuit that will operate at 69 kV to restore the 69 kV loop feed to the Wescott Park Distribution Substation. Dakota Electric Association is proposing to rebuild the Eagan Substation from 69 kV to 115 kV. Xcel Energy is proposing to upgrade 1.5 miles of single circuit 115 kV line to double circuit 115/115kV line, and 0.5 mile of single circuit 69 kV line to single circuit 115 kV line between the Pilot Knob Substation and Eagan substations.

Great River Energy, Dakota Electric Association, and Xcel Energy are jointly seeking permit approval from the City of Eagan to begin upgrading the Yankee Doodle – Pilot Knob transmission line system. Easement acquisition will begin after all permits have been approved. Construction is scheduled to begin fall/winter 2009. The project will be energized by spring 2010.

This project and other nearby 115-kilovolt projects will provide capacity for new generation in southwestern Minnesota and meet electrical load growth south of the Twin Cities metro area. This project is part of CapX 2020, an innovative joint initiative to ensure long term electric reliability for Minnesota and the surrounding region in the future.

Great River Energy and other CapX 2020 utilities filed a certificate of need with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission August 16, 2007.

The Commission issued an order granting the certificate of need (with conditions) on May 22, 2009.

Great River Energy filed a route permit with the Public Utilities Commission on December 29, 2008. An order issued on January 5, 2009 referred the project to the Office of Administrative Hearings and assigned Judge Richard Luis to the project. The commission issued an order on January 29, 2009 deeming the application complete and authorizing OES to establish an advisory task force or task forces.

The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) scoping meetings were held in March and April 2009. The scoping decision (outlining the scope of the EIS) will be issued in June 2009. The draft EIS is scheduled to be completed in October 2009, after which public meetings will be held so that the public may comment on the draft EIS.