Minnesota Power and Great River Energy plan to build the Northland Reliability Project, an approximately 180-mile, double-circuit 345-kV transmission line from northern Minnesota to central Minnesota near Becker that will support grid reliability and resilience in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest as the regional power system continues to evolve.
This is one of a portfolio of transmission projects approved in July 2022 by the region’s grid operator, MISO, as part of the first phase of its Long Range Transmission Plan. In total, MISO approved 18 projects across its Midwest subregion, with six, including this one, in the Upper Midwest.
The Northland Reliability Project will ensure the power grid in northern and central Minnesota continues to operate safely and reliably as energy resources in Minnesota and the regional power system continue to evolve. As generation resources shift from fossil fuels to more renewables, the Northland Reliability Project is one part of the solution to:
- Provide support to the energy grid as more renewable energy is brought online and coal operations cease at existing power plants
- Improve ability to withstand more frequent extreme weather events
- Incraease capacity to safely and reliably deliver more clean energy from where it’s produced to where it’s consumed by utility customers and pwoer cooperative memebrs
- Meet future energy needs by enabling transfer of many types of power generation to many locations to meet the long-term needs to our members
Permits and Approvals
- You can subscribe to receive updates from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC). Visit edockets.state.mn.us and enter the docket number you’re interested in tracking. For information on the Certificate of Need use docket 22-416 and for information on the Route Permit use docket 22-415.