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Northland Reliability Project

Virtual open house

Thank you for joining us online today. This project is part of a regional plan for energy reliability. Minnesota Power and Great River Energy are working together to build the Northland Reliability Project.

The project includes new and replaced transmission lines, upgrades to existing substations and a new substation. When in service, the transmission grid will be more reliable, resilient and flexible to support the delivery of cleaner energy to our customers and members.

We need your input to help us review and refine the preliminary route for this line. On the following slides you’ll learn more about the project, review routing maps, and provide input about the preliminary route.

Launch the open house

Who we are

Minnesota Power

Minnesota Power provides electric service within a 26,000-square-mile area in northeastern Minnesota, supporting comfort, security and quality of life for 150,000 customers, 15 municipalities and some of the largest industrial customers in the United States.

Great River Energy

Great River Energy is a not-for-profit wholesale electric power cooperative which provides electricity to approximately 1.7 million people through its 27 member-owner cooperatives and customers. Through our member-owners, we serve two-thirds of Minnesota geographically and parts of Wisconsin.

About the project

To maintain a continuous supply of safe and reliable electricity, Minnesota Power and Great River Energy are investing in our transmission infrastructure to enhance the stability of the regional electric system and support a reliable, resilient and flexible grid as energy resources continue to evolve.

Minnesota Power and Great River Energy plan to build an approximately 180-mile, double-circuit 345-kilovolt (kV) transmission line from northern Minnesota, near Grand Rapids, to central Minnesota, near Becker, to support grid reliability throughout the Upper Midwest.

MISO, the regional grid operator, approved this project as part of a portfolio of Long Range Transmission Projects in July 2022. Learn more at misoenergy.org.

Click on image to enlarge.

Click on image to enlarge.

Project timeline

We'll undertake a robust stakeholder process as we prepare to apply for a Certificate of Need and Route Permit from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. Please note the schedule is subject to change.

  • 2022

    Project planning and initial stakeholder engagement

  • 2023

    Routing, public engagement and permitting

  • 2024 - 2026

    Permitting, engineering, environmental surveys, real estate and public engagement

  • 2027 - 2030

    Construction

  • 2030

    Anticipated in-service

Two main project segments

The project consists of two major segments and additional improvements as shown in the map:

Segment one: New double circuit 345-kV line

Iron Range Substation to Riverton Substation to Benton County Substation

  • Approximately 140 miles
  • Opportunities to route near existing transmission lines
  • Connect into new Riverton Substation

Segment two: Replacement of two existing transmission lines

Benton County Substation to Big Oaks Substation

  • Replace an approximately 20-mile 230-kV line with two 345-kV circuits from Benton County Substation to a new substation (Big Oaks Substation) in Sherburne County along existing transmission corridors on double circuit 345-kV structures.
  • Replace an approximately 20-mile 345-kV line from the Benton County Substation to the Sherco Substation in Sherburne County along existing transmission corridors using double-circuit 345-kV structures.
  • NOTE: The Big Oaks Substation will be built as part of a separate project called Alexandria to Big Oaks.

Additional project improvements

  • Expand the existing Iron Range Substation near Grand Rapids and the Benton County Substation near St. Cloud.
  • Install a new substation at or near the existing Riverton Substation and reconfigure existing transmission lines in the Riverton area.

Click on image to enlarge.

Why is the project needed?

The Northland Reliability Project will support continued reliable electric service in northern and central Minnesota, as well as the greater Upper Midwest region. It will:

  • Provide system support

    Provide support to the energy grid as more renewable energy is brought online and coal operations cease at existing power plants.

  • Increase capacity

    Safely and reliably deliver more clean energy from where it’s produced to where it’s consumed by utility customers and power cooperative members.

  • Strengthen resiliency

    Improve ability to withstand more frequent extreme weather events.

  • Enhance flexibility

    Meet future energy needs by enabling transfer of many types of power generation from many locations to meet the long-term needs of our customers and members.

Our routing process

Routing a transmission line is no small task. The state of Minnesota has statutes and rules that guide the route selection process and help minimize a project’s impact to human settlement and the environment. Input from you, local leaders and agencies as well as our own expertise is critical as we develop and finalize a route.

Earlier this year, we worked with the community to help define the route corridor. Currently, we’re working to further define the preliminary route in order to identify the proposed route, which will be used to apply for the Certificate of Need and Route Permit late this summer. Please note that at each point during this process, and even after we submit permits to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, there will be opportunities for public input.

Click on image to enlarge.

Routing phases

Our team started by using data from publicly available data sources and federal, state and local agencies to define a study area. We considered existing utility corridors, existing land use, resource areas and other data to help identify opportunities to identify a proposed route.

Click on image to enlarge.

Our team used data collected from your local leaders and federal, state and local agencies and the categories of routing criteria—opportunities and constraints—to define a route corridor. The route corridor is a narrowed area being considered for the power line. We developed the route corridor based on where the new power line will need to connect into substations, input gathered during our fall 2022 stakeholder workshops and the opportunity to route near existing utility corridors and land already being used for power lines. The route corridor is narrower than the original study area, and wider than the 150-foot right of way that will be needed for the construction, operation and maintenance of the line.

Click on image to enlarge.

After evaluating public input gathered at our phase one public open houses, online, through the hotline or email, we narrowed the route further to define a preliminary route. We are again gathering public input around this preliminary route in order to identify our proposed route, used for permitting.

A map of the preliminary route is shown on the next slide.

We will develop a proposed route that we will use to submit an application for a Certificate of Need and Route Permit with the Minnesota Public Utilities later this summer. Join our mailing list to stay updated on project milestones.

Input opportunity: Comment map

The comment period has closed.

Right-of-way

A right-of-way is needed to install, operate, and maintain this new transmission line and additional project improvements. We’re proposing 120- to 180-foot-high single-pole structures with three rows of arms on both sides of each structure to hold the lines. We anticipate having about five to six structures for each mile of our line. This typical design for the transmission line influences our right-of-way needs for the project.

A right-of-way is a strip of land used for a specific purpose such as the construction, operation and maintenance of a road or transmission line. Right-of-way is typically secured as an easement on a property. The landowner retains ownership of the land subject to the easement.

A document allowing Minnesota Power and Great River Energy the right to construct, operate and maintain a transmission line and other associated infrastructure on a landowner’s property.

Project representatives will hold individual meetings with affected landowners to discuss our right-of-way needs.

Landowners are contacted and an easement is presented based on fair-market value. We work to reach an agreement and the utilities maintain the transmission.

Beyond the right-of-way needed for the transmission line, additional needs may include:

  • Construction staging areas
  • Temporary access roads
  • Substation expansions

Right-of-way needs: Segment one

Segment one consists of approximately 140 miles of new double-circuit 345-kV transmission line from the Iron Range Substation near Grand Rapids to the Benton County Substation near St. Cloud. The typical right-of-way needed for a new proposed transmission line is 150 feet. When a new line is located near existing lines, there may be an opportunity to share up to 30 - 40 feet of right-of-way with existing transmission lines.

Proposed double-circuit line is 110 feet taller wtih a 110-120 foot expansion.

Right-of-way needs: Segment two

In the graphic below, you’ll see the right-of-way needs for segment two. As a reminder, segment two consists of replacing:

  • An approximately 20-mile 230-kV line with two 345-kV circuits from Benton County Substation to a new substation named Big Oaks Substation in Sherburne County along existing transmission corridors on double circuit 345-kV structures. The Big Oaks Substation will be built as part of a separate project called Alexandria to Big Oaks.
  • An approximately 20-mile 345-kV line from the Benton County Substation to the Sherco Substation in Sherburne County along existing transmission corridors using double-circuit 345-kV structures.
Route A runs from the Benton County Substation to the Big Oaks Substation
Route B runs from the Benton County Substation to the Sherco Substation

Typical preconstruction and construction activities

We currently anticipate construction beginning in 2027. Prior to construction, we will provide updates on schedule and what you can expect. The typical activities include:

1

Initial surveying, right-of-way clearing and access routes

2

Structure staking, surveying and soils investigations as needed

3

Foundation installation (Foundation type may vary depending on structure)

4

Assemble and set structures

5

Energize Line

Wire installation

6

Clean-up and restoration

Typical preconstruction survey types include:

  • Field surveys
  • Wildlife surveys
  • Archaeological surveys
  • Wetland and stream surveys
  • Soil surveys

Thank you

Thank you for your interest in the Northland Reliability Project. There are many ways to stay connected and share your input.

Do you know someone who might be interested in learning about this project? Pass along the link to our self-guided virtual open house.

Regulatory process participation

You may also wish to subscribe to email notifications from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) when updates are made to the Northland Reliability Project eDocket - the electronic docket system of the Minnesota PUC. Visit Visit edockets.state.mn.us and enter the docket number you’re interested in tracking. Certificate of Need: 22-416 | Route Permit: 22-415

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