Electric Transmission Planning in the State of Minnesota

Minnesota’s electric transmission system—the high-voltage power lines that transmit electric energy from power generation plants to customers—is part of an overall regional transmission grid operated on a coordinated basis with other systems throughout the Upper Midwest and Eastern United States.

The system was originally designed to deliver power to major electric load centers such as the Twin Cities metropolitan area, Duluth, Mankato, Rochester and St. Cloud, as well as to interconnect utilities in the state to ensure reliable electric delivery. It acts, in many ways, like a regional highway system that provides the physical link between power producers, utilities and delivers electricity to substations and distribution systems that serve farms, businesses and homes.

In August 2001, Minnesota statutes were revised to include the requirement that each electric transmission owning utility in the state of Minnesota file a biennial transmission planning report. In 2001, the Minnesota Transmission Projects Report was filed with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. Although the report did not request certification of any transmission projects, it does provide an excellent source for background information on the planning process used by utilities in Minnesota.

In 2003, new state rules (Biennial Transmission Filing Rulemaking) associated with the new statute were adopted prescribing the process of soliciting public input into subsequent biennial planning reports, including the requirement for public meetings in different zones of the state. The 2003, 2005 and 2007 reports can be viewed here.

The 2009 Biennial Transmission Planning Report is available for review here.

Click here for large map

Transmission Planning Zones

For planning and reporting purposes, the state of Minnesota is divided into seven transmission planning zones. Click on a zone in small map at right or go to large map of Minnesota Transmission Planning Zones.

Public meetings and webcasts will be held for each zone and provide information on projects in that area, as well as provide members of the public opportunities to answer questions and submit comments about those projects and plans for the area.