Dive Brief:

• A joint transmission project developed by 11 transmission‐owning utilities in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin has electrified 90 miles of line, completing a $300 million investment aimed at accessing Midwest wind power, Smart Grid News reports. 
• The new segments were energized in mid-September and include about 50 miles of new transmission line in Wisconsin, 40 miles in Minnesota and two new substations.
• The entire CapX2020 Hampton-Rochester-La Crosse project, which also includes two 161-kV lines that feed Rochester and a 40-mile, 345-kV segment between Hampton and Pine Island, is expected to be complete in 2016.

Dive Insight:

In spite of a recent backlog of transmission projects aimed at opening up wind generation potential in the Midwest and Western regions, a joint project can ring the victory bell after electrifying about 90 miles of line. 

Aimed at unlocking the potential for Midwest wind generation, the CapX2020 project will ultimately include four 345-kV transmission lines and a 230-kV line. It’s the largest development of new transmission in the upper Midwest in 40 years, the group said, and will cost nearly $2 billion and cover a distance of nearly 800 miles. 

“Major transmission lines, like the CapX2020 project, are helping to unlock the potential for a major build out of wind energy in the Midwest, while also offering important reliability benefits for customers,”  Chris Kunkle, a regional policy manager at Wind on the Wires, said in a statement. “By providing increased access to cost-effective wind power, CapX2020 will play a vital role in our region’s transition to a cleaner energy future.”

The CapX2020 Hampton-Rochester-Lacrosse Project is jointly owned by Xcel Energy, Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency, Dairyland Power Cooperative, Rochester Public Utilities and WPPI Energy. The group said that once complete, the $500 million project will include 150 miles of new transmission lines, three new substations and made modification at three existing substations.

“This transmission project is beneficial for the customers of our locally owned, not-for-profit member utilities and for the entire region,” said Tim Noeldner, WPPI Energy vice president of rates and special projects. “The Hampton-Rochester-La Crosse line is ‘right-sized’ in that it appropriately balances project cost with reliability improvements and increased access to economical renewable energy resources.”