MISO Board Approves $2.23 Billion in New Transmission Projects in Minnesota

The Midcontinent Independent System Operator board approved a $2.23 billion investment for new transmission lines which are completely or partially in Minnesota, according to an Aug. 2 press release from the Minnesota Commerce Department. The investments are expected to advance and expand the electric grid to ensure reliability during the state’s transition to clean energy. The board unanimously approved three projects and the  economic benefits of the transmission line expansion are projected to exceed costs by $2.80 to $4 for every $1 invested in the electric grid.

The investment is a part of the grid operator’s long-range transmission plan projects worth $10.3 billion. The transmission projects are expected to enhance system performance to maintain reliable operation in the future with more variability and uncertainty in the energy supply. The plan is expected to provide 213,000 jobs building renewable energy and energy storage facilities, plus another 120,000 jobs building the transmission facilities. The transmission expansion plan is focused on providing additional operational flexibility to offer more opportunities for planning transmission and generation outages with less risk of operational issues or rescheduling of outages.

Electric grid investments keep the state on track for reliable and affordable energy in the future, while expanding vital energy infrastructure, creating jobs, and building resilient communities, according to the press release. Out of the eighteen proposed lines, three are in Minnesota.

Renewable energy advocates and utilities such as Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency and Rochester Public Utilities welcomed the investment news but industrial energy users filed a complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Various groups such as Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group, Industrial Energy Consumers of America, Coalition of MISO Transmission Customers, and Association of Businesses Advocating Tariff Equity, raised that MISO’s decision not to include around $5.5 billion in commercial bids will lead to transmission line customers paying more.

MISO manages the grid across 15 states in the U.S. and one province in Canada. The grid operator’s network spans approximately 65,000 miles of transmission lines and generates approximately 200 gigawatts of power.