Feb. 27—BENSON

— Landowners are taking advantage of the opportunity to provide early input as

Otter Tail Power Company

and

Missouri River Energy Services

review two possible routes for a proposed 345-kilovolt transmission line to connect substations at

Big Stone City, South Dakota, and Alexandria, Minnesota.

There were 81 attendees for an open house meeting on Thursday, Feb. 22 in Benson. It was the fifth in a series of voluntary open houses hosted by the utilities for landowners along the proposed routes for the line.

Attendance was also considered to be good at input meetings held at Alexandria (72), Ortonville (42), Glenwood (84), and Big Stone City (23), according to Otter Tail. Landowners can also view the proposed routes and their property’s location in the proposed corridors on an online site, where comments can also be provided.

Input

from landowners in the early route review process is especially important, according to Jason Weiers, manager of transmission project development for Otter Tail Power. “It’s a lot easier to make adjustments to the route now,” Weiers told the West Central Tribune.

The utilities are required by state law to propose two routes for the line. If the project is approved by the

Public Utilities Commission

, it will also select which of the routes to permit.

The two utilities are proposing a line that is estimated to be 95 miles to 105 miles in length. It will consist mainly of 150-foot-tall steel monopoles. The utilities will be seeking a permit for a single circuit on the poles, but they will be constructed so that a second circuit could be added.

The

project

c

arries an estimated cost ranging from $400 million to $500 million, which includes upgrades to the two substations. The stations will carry power from the

Big Stone power plant

as well as other generators, including wind and solar, according to Weiers.

The project is among 18 new transmission lines being proposed in the Upper Midwest states that are part of a regional power network overseen by the

Midcontinent Independent System Operator

, known as MISO. A 2022 preliminary planning document estimated the total cost for the lines at $10.3 billion.

This and the other lines are all part of an effort to improve reliability on the network, reduce congestion, increase resiliency and increase access to low-cost energy, according to Weiers.

The proposed Big Stone South line will be able to carry power from Otter Tail Power’s Big Stone power plant and renewable energy generators in western Minnesota and eastern South Dakota to Alexandria and the entire grid.

Weiers said the line can and will also be carrying power from the connection at Alexandria to the west. There are significant changes in electrical demand and loads during summer and winter, and the flow of electricity from west to east and east to west varies, he explained.

There is currently “congestion” on the network that is curtailing the ability of wind, solar and other generators to place power on the grid, he said. If this project is approved, the increased capacity would allow for more renewable energy development. At this time, plans call only for access to the line at the substations at the two end points.

The Big Stone South to Alexandria line would connect to an eastern segment known as the Alexandria-Big Oaks project being proposed by Great River Energy, Minnesota Power, Missouri River Energy Services, Xcel Energy and Otter Tail Power. The Big Oak utilities are seeking to add a second, 345-kilovolt circuit to the CapX2020 line connecting Fargo, North Dakota, to St. Cloud/Monticello.

Weiers and company officials at the open house emphasized that the current process is aimed at identifying a route that minimizes impact on landowners. The process of seeking easements for the route from landowners will begin only once the PUC identifies a route.

At the meeting in Benson, landowners peered at maps on computers showing their lands and the wide swath of land in play for the possible routes. Company officials recorded the concerns of the landowners, who typically expressed their desire to see the line as far as possible from their homes and to avoid paths that would disrupt agricultural activities.

Landowners had plenty of questions as well, from whether the line would adversely affect their land values to how deep will the concrete bases will be for the towers.

Not surprisingly, most were not eager to see a new transmission line crossing the agricultural landscape. Said one, who asked to remain anonymous: “Seems farmers are always taking the brunt for the urban areas.”

Otter Tail Power and Missouri River Energy Services are planning to submit an application for the route to the PUC in late 2024. The permitting process is expected to take two years. If all goes as planned, construction could start in late 2027 or 2028 with an in-service goal for 2030 or 2031.