Mankato to Mississippi River Transmission Line Project
Project Overview
The Mankato-Mississippi River Transmission Project includes about 120 miles of new and upgraded 345 kilovolt (kV) transmission lines between the existing Wilmarth Substation located in Mankato, Minnesota, and a connection point at the Mississippi River near Kellogg. It also includes building about 20 miles of new 161 kV transmission lines between the existing North Rochester Substation near Pine Island, Minnesota, and an existing transmission line northeast of Rochester, which must be added to install the new 345 kV infrastructure.
Project Need
Xcel Energy is committed to providing value to customers by investing in electric reliability and low-cost carbon-free resources. The Mankato-Mississippi River Transmission Line Project supports this strategy by increasing electric reliability and resiliency in Minnesota and throughout the Midwest. This project is part of a portfolio of long-range electric transmission projects identified by the regional grid operator, MISO, to improve reliability, relieve congestion on the grid as more renewable energy comes online and aging traditional plants are retired, and strengthen system resiliency during extreme weather conditions.
Typical Structures
161-kV & 345-kV Steel Monopole
Project Timeline
- Project identified by MISO: 2022
- Planning; routing and siting; public and stakeholder engagement; preliminary engineering; Certificate of Need/Route Permit Applications filed with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission: 2023
- Minnesota permitting process; final engineering; siting and land rights; other required permits; continued public and stakeholder engagement: 2024-2026
- Construction: 2027-2029
- In service and restoration: 2029