Bismarck Tribune | Joey Harris October 19
Two transmission lines in North Dakota will receive millions in federal investment as part of a broad effort to improve the U.S. electric grid.
The projects are part of the $3.5 billion federal Energy Department’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships program which will fund 58 projects across the U.S. to meet new electricity demand, accommodate the buildout of renewable energy, and increase grid resiliency in the face of extreme weather. The funding comes from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021.
Minnesota Power, a subsidiary of Allete Inc., will receive $50 million to upgrade its 465-mile high-voltage direct current transmission line. The line delivers around 500 megawatts of wind energy from Center, North Dakota, to Hermantown, Minnesota.
The project seeks to enhance renewable energy transmission capacity by up to 1,500 megawatts. For perspective, that would support five new typical-size wind farms in the state. This upgrade will enable Minnesota Power to replace aging infrastructure and upgrade its terminals.
“This federal grant will help reduce costs to customers for upgrades to Minnesota Power’s strategically located HVDC transmission system, support federal and state energy policy goals — including Minnesota’s recently passed carbon-free by 2040 legislation — and help prepare the regional grid for the efficient transfer of more energy from a variety of generation sources,” Allete CEO Bethany Owen said.
The other North Dakota line that will receive funding connects the Bison and Hankinson substations in eastern North Dakota to the Big Stone substation in South Dakota. It is part of the Joint Targeted Interconnection Queue, one of the largest recipients of Energy Department funding. The JTIQ will receive $464 million and includes four other Midwestern transmission projects.
The JTIQ is a collaboration to upgrade transmission infrastructure between the Midcontinent Independent System Operator and the Southwest Power Pool, regional transmission organizations that buy and sell electricity in order to maintain a stable grid. Both organizations have operations in North Dakota.
A lack of transmission infrastructure has been a key constraint in getting more renewable energy on the grid in the Midwest. The JTIQ is expected to unlock around 30 gigawatts of energy, much of which will be wind and solar. Thirty gigawatts would support about 100 typical-size wind farms.
The grant from the Energy Department will fund around a quarter of the JTIQ project.
A statement by Xcel Energy, which is part of the buildout for two of the five JTIQ projects, said the funding should reduce the costs that typically fall to electric consumers as a result of infrastructure buildout.
North Dakota Transmission Authority Executive Director Claire Vigesaa said the projects will benefit the state.
“I like to think of it like our highway system,” he said. “These projects add another lane for electron traffic.”
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