Mankato-Mississippi River Transmission Line Project self-guided virtual open house

Project overview

The Mankato-Mississippi River Transmission Project will improve reliability, deliver low-cost renewable energy and provide other regional benefits by building new, more resilient 'backbone' infrastructure to serve customers

Xcel Energy, Dairyland Power Cooperative, Rochester Public Utilities and Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency are developing this project to serve southern Minnesota. We are proposing:

About 120 miles of new and upgraded 345 kilovolt (kV) transmission infrastructure between the Wilmarth Substation located near Mankato and near Kellogg at the Mississippi River.
About 20 miles of new 161 kV transmission infrastructure between the North Rochester Substation near Pine Island and an existing transmission line northeast of Rochester.

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Schedule

We will work closely with landowners, members of the public, local government officials, Tribes and resources agencies as the route development and regulatory processes move forward.

2022

Project identified by MISO

2023

Preliminary route development process
Public and stakeholder engagement
Preliminary engineering
Submit Certificate of Need and Route Permit Application

2024-2026

Minnesota permitting review (including public engagement)
Detailed engineering
Negotiate with landowners to purchase easements
Obtain other required permits
Continued public and stakeholder engagement

2026-2028

Construction

2028

In-service
Restoration

A need for new infrastructure

The Mankato-Mississippi River Transmission Project is one of several long-range transmission projects identified by MISO, the regional grid operator, to support energy needs in Minnesota and throughout the region.

Transmission line projects like this one, strengthen the overall backbone of the grid, by:

Improving reliability and resilience in the Upper Midwest
Creating greater access to low-cost renewable energy
Adding transmission capacity to accommodate increasing amounts of renewable energy as aging traditional resources retire
Supporting regional economic growth through new energy infrastructure
Upgrading and updating infrastructure facilitates more jobs and increases tax revenue for communities in southern Minnesota

Project segments

This project has four segments that include a combination of new transmission lines and upgrades to existing lines. Xcel Energy will lead the development of Segments 1 and 2, while all utilities will participate in the development of Segments 3 and 4. All four segments will be permitted together in one Certificate of Need and Route Permit. Where feasible, we’ve worked to identify opportunities to locate lines in existing utility or transportation corridors. The route options have been refined since we met with you this spring, and those refinements are shown in the maps below.

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Segment 1: Mankato to Faribault

Build about 40 miles of 345 kV transmission lines in existing transmission corridors between the Wilmarth Substation near Mankato and the West Faribault Substation in Faribault.

Segment Owner: Xcel Energy

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Segment 2: Faribault to Pine Island

Build about 35-40 miles of 345 kV transmission lines in either a new corridor and/or in existing transmission corridors from near the West Faribault Substation to the North Rochester Substation near Pine Island.

Segment Owner: Xcel Energy

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Segment 3: Pine Island to Kellogg

Convert about 26 miles of 161 kV line to 345 kV line and install about 16 miles of new 345 kV line on existing structures between the North Rochester Substation and the Mississippi River.

Segment Owners: Xcel Energy, Dairyland Power Cooperative, Rochester Public Utilities, Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency

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Segment 4: Rochester Connector

Build about 20 miles of a new single-circuit 161 kV line from the North Rochester Substation to an existing transmission line northeast of Rochester.

Segment Owners: Xcel Energy, Dairyland Power Cooperative, Rochester Public Utilities, Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency

Input opportunity: Comment map

We've identified refined route options and need your feedback. Explore the map and drop a pin to provide your feedback on the route options.

Regulatory process

We expect to apply for a combined Certificate of Need and Route Permit with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) in late 2023. Project development is subject to change.

Certificate of Need (CN)

Describes the project need and the issues it will solve.
Contains additional information about engineering, operational details, and environmental impacts.
Includes the alternatives considered prior to submitting the application.

Route Permit Application

Includes at least two feasible proposed routes.
Describes the factors evaluated in developing those routes.
Minnesota Public Utilities Commission determines final route following a full review process.

After submitting these applications, the Minnesota review process will begin:

Public meetings and hearings will be held with public comment opportunities. Written comments can also be submitted to the PUC.

Following this process, the PUC will decide on the Certificate of Need and Route Permit expected in 2024 or 2025. The PUC may select one option or a combination of the route options identified.

Project partners

Multiple utility partners will develop this new infrastructure to serve southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin, including several companies who helped build the Capx2020 transmission projects.

Development Details

Xcel Energy will develop and own the infrastructure between the Wilmarth Substation near Mankato and the North Rochester Substation near Pine Island (Segments 1 and 2).
All project partners will participate in the additional 345 kV infrastructure from the North Rochester Substation to the Mississippi River (Segment 3) and the 161 kV line from Pine Island to the Rochester area (Segment 4).
All four Segments will be submitted in one combined Certificate of Need and Route Permit.
Dairyland Power will develop the relocation of the 161 kV portion east Plainview, which will be permitted separately from this project.

What we heard

In spring 2023, we launched a public engagement campaign to collect feedback on the project routing process.

Spring 2023 engagement efforts

6 in-person open houses
2 virtual open houses
1 self-guided virtual open house with 100 visitors
1,070 website visits
17,000+ postcards mailed
43,000 people reached with 11 newspaper ads
67,000 people reached with Facebook posts
145 total comments received

Comments Received by category

40 routing comments
25 information requests
23 comments about proximity to homes/structures
21 map requests
20 comments about property development

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Every comment we receive is considered during the routing process

Your feedback helped us make adjustments and refinements to the preliminary route options. Thank you for your feedback and participation in the route development process.

Route development process

The proposed routes have been developed to minimize impacts to humans and the environment. This process is flexible and steps may be revisited based on additional data and feedback we receive.

Mutli-step routing process

Developing route alternatives involves multiple steps:

Develop preliminary route options
We are here - Refining and field verifying preliminary route options
Submitting proposed routes to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission

What we evaluate in developing routes

Opportunities:

Existing transmission line corridors
Existing utility corridors (like pipelines)
Roads and highways
Property, field and section lines

Constraints:

Existing homes and businesses
Farmland impacts
Airports
Cemeteries and religious facilities
Rivers, lakes, streams and wetlands
Conservation areas, nature preserves, and state and local parks
Cultural and historic resources
Sensitive animal and plant species

Typical transmission line infrastructure

Transmission line features and structures will vary.

Anticipated design*

Steel transmission structures
Single pole style for most structures
Typical pole height is 100-150 feet (depending on the terrain)
Typical Right-of-Way is 150-foot-wide for a 345 kV line
Typical Right-of-Way is 80-100-foot-wide for a 161 kV line
800-1,200 feet between structures for 345 kV segments
300-500 feet between structures for the 161 kV segments

*Design is subject to change based on final engineering and other factors.

*Impacts to structure height:

Voltage
Sag of the conductor
Distance between structures
Terrain
Structure type
Minimum clearance prescribed by National Electric Safety Code and Company standards

Working with landowners

DEFINITIONS:

Easements are a permanent right authorizing a utility to use the Right-of-Way (ROW) to build and maintain a transmission line. Landowners are paid a fair market value for the easement and can continue to use the land if the use doesn't interfere with the operation and maintenance of the transmission line.

Rights-of-way are the actual land areas acquired for a specific purpose such as a transmission line, roadway or other infrastructure.

Agriculture

After initial construction, agricultural activities can continue outside the small area with the transmission structures.

Vegetation Management

Trees growing near power lines can be a safety hazard and can contribute to electric service interruptions nationwide. Some areas will require tree removal and pruning.

Our goal is to provide safe, reliable electric service while also taking care of one of your community's valuable natural resources.

Buildings and Structures

Generally, buildings or other structures are not allowed in the ROW/easement for transmission lines due to clearance and safety concerns. Landowners can only build structures in the easement area after receiving written approval from the utility.

Construction and restoration activities

We currently expect construction to start in 2026 with the project in-service in 2028. Our typical transmission line construction process includes the following steps:

1. Soil surveys and property staking
2. Construction access and vegetation clearing
3. Mobilizing equipment and delivering material
4. Foundation construction
5. Installing structures and stringing conductor
6. Land restoration

Get involved

Thank you for your interest in the Mankato-Mississippi River Transmission Line Project. There are many ways to stay connected and share your feedback. Provide us your feedback by September 30, 2023.