The project kicked off in early 2023, and a series of open houses were held in April and October 2023, and February and June 2024. Information gathered during these open houses were considered in preparing our permit applications to the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission (SD PUC) and the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MN PUC). Learn more about our upcoming events.

Following our February 2024 open houses, easement acquisition began along the proposed route in South Dakota. On April 15, 2024, we submitted a Facility Permit application with the SD PUC, who will review the application and hold a public hearing before making a decision, which we expect to occur by mid-April 2025.

A Certificate of Need application was submitted to the MN PUC in September 2023, and on October 3, 2024, the MN PUC approved it. In October 2024, a Route Permit application for the western segment (BSSA) was submitted to the MN PUC, who will review the application and hold public meetings and hearings before making a decision, which we expect to occur between mid to late 2026. Following this, easement acquisition will begin in Minnesota.

After all easements have been acquired, construction will occur. The new line is tentatively scheduled to be complete in either 2030 or 2031.

BSSA is one of 18 new transmission projects in the Upper Midwest identified by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) in Tranche 1 of their Long-Range Transmission Planning effort. This project will help ensure electric reliability, increase resiliency to extreme weather events, reduce transmission congestion, and increase access to low-cost energy in the region.

The typical structure will be approximately 150-foot-high, single-pole, self-weathering steel with double- circuit capability, meaning it can support a second set of conductors. While this is the proposed design, the structure type may vary due to a variety of reasons. We'll continue to share more details as they become available.

The transmission line is being constructed to increase overall reliability of the grid not only in South Dakota and Minnesota, but across the Upper Midwest. This transmission line is not being built because of one specific energy project, but it's possible that future energy generation resources, including wind, may connect to this line in the future. If this occurs, the entities responsible would be subject to a separate MN PUC permitting process as well as the MISO Generation interconnection process.

Otter Tail Power Company and Missouri River Energy Services will undergo a consultation process with federal and state agencies to protect sensitive species within the right of way.

Landowners within and adjacent to the Proposed Route Options identified in the application should have received a notice from our project team. The MN PUC will also use this same landowner list to notify landowners of its upcoming public meetings and hearings.

If additional route alternatives are identified during the public input process, the MN PUC will update the landowner list to include new landowners within and adjacent to the additional route alternatives.

If you want to make sure you get notified of all of the filings in the docket, you can subscribe to the project mailing list by visiting the MN PUC's eDockets page and completing the steps under 'Subscribe.'

Once the MN PUC determines the route, it will publish its final permit decision in the State Register within 30 days and publish a notice in the Environmental Quality Board Monitor. Notices will also be sent to those landowners along and adjacent to the approved route and, if possible, posted on the MN PUC's website.

Right of way is a portion of land needed for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the transmission line. Typically, a width of 150 feet is needed for a 345-kV transmission line. Right of way is typically secured through negotiation and acquisition of an easement agreement.

To assess potential routes and conduct the necessary environmental, engineering, and geologic studies/surveys, right of way agents will work with landowners and residents to acquire a temporary right-of-entry agreement. This agreement does not give permission for construction.

An easement is the legal document that allows Otter Tail Power Company and Missouri River Energy Services to construct, operate, and maintain transmission structures and lines on your property.

A 150-foot-wide easement will be necessary to construct, operate, and maintain the proposed 345-kV transmission line.

We value landowner and resident input and will take all feedback and input to the project team for evaluation. Examples of this may include soil type or condition, known cultural areas, quarries, cemeteries, private airstrips, homestead locations, or other critical siting criteria.

EMF is an acronym for the phrase "electric and magnetic fields". For transmission lines, EMF should be considered separately - electric fields and magnetic fields, measured in kilovolt per meter (kV/m) and milliGauss (mG), respectively. Electric fields are dependent on the voltage of a transmission line, and magnetic fields are dependent on the current carried by a transmission line. The strength of the electric field is proportional to the voltage of the line and diminishes rapidly as the distance from the conductor increases. The intensity of the magnetic field is proportional to the current flow through the conductors, and magnetic field levels decrease rapidly as the distance from the centerline increases. Learn more about EMFs at EMF Electric and Magnetic Fields Associated with the Use of Electric Power (nih.gov).

The best way to get involved in this process is to attend public open houses and public hearings, visit our website, and sign up for email updates. You can also email us or call (800) 598-5587 with questions, comments, or concerns. Landowners and residents within the route corridors will receive information throughout project development.