Open Houses set for transmission line proposals
News | Published on June 10, 2024 at 2:30pm CDT
Otter Tail Power Company (Otter Tail Power) and Missouri River Energy Services (MRES), (on behalf of Western Minnesota Municipal Power Agency), invite the public to attend upcoming open houses for the Big Stone South to Alexandria transmission line (BSSA) project. At the Open Houses the public can review route segments that will make up the two proposed routes to be included in a route permit application to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.
The open houses schedule follows.
Alexandria
Monday, June 24, 2024
3 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Broadway Ballroom
115 30th Ave E, Alexandria, MN 56308
Glenwood
Tuesday, June 25, 2024
3 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Central Square
105 2nd Ave NE, Ste 111, Glenwood, MN 56334
Benson
Wednesday, June 26, 2024
3 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Benson High School
300 14th St S, Benson, MN 56215
Otter Tail Power and MRES are partnering to develop, construct, and co-own a new 345-kilovolt (kV) transmission line. The Big Stone South to Alexandria transmission line (BSSA) will connect Otter Tail Power Company’s Big Stone South Substation near Big Stone City in South Dakota to the Alexandria Substation owned by Missouri River Energy Services near Alexandria, Minnesota. This project is needed to ensure electric reliability, increase resiliency to extreme weather events, reduce transmission congestion, and increase access to low-cost energy in the region.
The BSSA project is one of 18 transmission projects recently identified by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), our regional grid operator, as part of the first phase of the multi-year Long-Range Transmission Planning (LRTP) initiative. These LRTP projects are needed to ensure a reliable and resilient transmission system in the future.
Developing and constructing transmission lines takes many years, and we’re currently proposing an in-service date in 2030 or 2031. Otter Tail Power and MRES began coordinating with landowners and residents, local governments, agencies, and other interested stakeholders in spring 2023 and will continue to seek input from stakeholders throughout the development process. More information can be found at www.BigStoneSouthtoAlexandria.com
