Certificate of Need, Route Permit approved for Northland Reliability Project

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission has approved the Certificate of Need and Route Permit for the Northland Reliability Project.

 


Certificate of Need, Route Permit approved for Northland Reliability Project

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USA, Minnesota: The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission has approved the Certificate of Need and Route Permit for the Northland Reliability Project, Minnesota Power and Great River Energy’s jointly owned high-voltage transmission line, to bolster reliability in northern and central Minnesota and support the clean energy transition. The project is a 180-mile, double-circuit, 345 kV transmission line spanning from near Grand Rapids in Itasca County to near St. Cloud in Benton County and into Sherburne County. The approved route will follow existing line corridors and help minimize environmental impacts and the need for new right-of-way.

The project will support a reliable and resilient grid as more renewable energy is brought online, existing power plants are retired, homes and businesses shift to electricity for power appliances, equipment and heating and cooling systems, and more frequent extreme weather events occur. It will be a significant boost to Minnesota’s economy.

Construction is expected to begin on the segment of the project in Benton and Sherburne counties in late 2025 and on the remainder of the project in 2027. The line might be operational by 2030.

The project is worth over $1 billion and the final project costs will be determined by final routing and design considerations. It will also expand the Iron Range Substation near Grand Rapids and the Benton County Substation near St. Cloud. A new Cuyuna Series Compensation Station will be built in Crow Wing County near the existing Riverton Substation.

Source: T&D World