(KNSI) – Grid North Partners says utility grid congestion has become a problem, particularly in the western part of the state, and it is working on 19 projects to fix the issue.
New solar and wind energy is coming online quickly, faster than the existing transmission infrastructure can handle. Grid North Partners consists of 10 companies, including Xcel Energy. The utility is making improvements to transmission lines and a substation in Wakefield Township, adding 115 kilovolts of capacity for 18 miles through Stearns County.
Great River Energy and Minnesota Power are installing a 230-kilovolt line stretching 51 miles from Mud Lake in Crow Wing County south to Benton County. All 19 projects organized by Grid North Partners total $130 million. They will be finished within three years.
Project Length (mi) Owner Counties
CapX2020 Brookings 2nd 345 kV Circuit 60 Xcel Energy/GRE/OTP/ MRES/CMPAS Lincoln, Lyon
CapX2020 Helena 2nd 345 kV Circuit 39 Xcel Energy/GRE/OTP/ MRES/CMPAS Scott, Dakota
Hoot Lake-Fergus Falls 115 kV 2 OTP/MRES Otter Tail
Morris-Grant County 115 kV 24 MRES Grant, Stevens
Franklin-Ft Ridgely-Swan Lake 115 kV 39 Xcel Energy Nicollet
Swan Lake-Wilmarth 115 kV 16 Xcel Energy Nicollet
Red Rock-Raptor 115 kV 7 Xcel Energy Washington
AAR* – Johnson Jct.-Morris 115 kV 15 GRE/OTP Big Stone, Stevens
Canby-Granite Falls 115 kV 39 OTP Yellow, Medicine
AAR* – Inman-Elmo-Parkers Prairie-Miltona-Alexandria 115 kV 34 GRE/OTP Otter Tail, Douglas
AAR* – Mud Lake-Benton 230 kV 51 GRE/MP Crow Wing, Morrison, Benton
Rogers Lake-High Bridge 115 kV 0.5 Xcel Energy Ramsey, Dakota
Wakefield-St. Cloud 115 kV 18 Xcel Energy Stearns
Pleasant Valley-Byron 161 kV 17 Xcel Energy/GRE/SMMPA Mower, Dodge, Olmsted
Big Stone-Blair 230 kV 33 OTP Grant, Deuel (SD)
Coon Creek-Terminal 345 kV 14 Xcel Energy Anoka, Ramsey
Coon Creek-Kohlman Lake 345 kV 20 Xcel Energy Anoka, Ramsey
AAR* – Forbes-Iron Range 230 kV 34 MP St. Louis, Itasca
AAR* – Blackberry-Riverton 230 kV 67 MP Crow Wing, Aitkin, Itasca
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