Map & Routing Process
Proposed Route Options
Constructing a new transmission line may have seemed as easy as drawing a straight line from one endpoint (substation) to another, but there was more to it than that. Even though we knew our endpoints, identifying potential routes between the two substations involved desktop and field studies, engineering and environmental analyses, and public input. When determining the Proposed Route Options, the project team considered a variety of factors such as cost, community impacts, landowner feedback, constructability, future needs, and more.
Explore the interactive map below to see the Proposed Route Options we filed with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission and the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission.
Not seeing the routes? Try reloading this page.Downloadable Proposed Route Options Map
Click or tap on the boxes in the map to view a detailed map of our Proposed Route Options.
Routing Process
We appreciate your valuable feedback during the routing process. After carefully considering input and evaluating opportunities, constraints, permit requirements, and technical guidelines, the project team has identified one proposed route in South Dakota, and Proposed Route Options in Minnesota.
We filed the SD Facilities Permit application with the SD PUC in April 2024. We filed the MN Route Permit application with the MN PUC in October 2024.
Study area
With an established project need from MISO, we identified a large study area that contained both substations.
Public open house #1
A series of open houses were held to introduce the project and provide stakeholders an opportunity to ask questions and provide input early.
Project corridors
The team utilized the input gathered to identify project corridors where construction may be possible.
Public open house #2
A series of open houses were held to gather input from stakeholders to help the team identify opportunities and constraints within the project corridors.
Route corridors
The project team used the feedback received to continue narrowing the project corridor into a proposed route corridors.
Public open house #3
A third series of open houses were held in February 2024 to gather feedback on the route corridors to help us develop a proposed route.
Proposed routes
The project team is currently reviewing feedback received from the open houses held in February to develop two proposed routes in Minnesota and one proposed route in South Dakota.
File proposed route in South Dakota
We filed on April 15, 2024
A proposed route was submitted to the SD Public Utilities Commission on April 15, 2024, who will review and hold public hearings before making a decision on the route.
Public open house #4 (MN)
A fourth series of open houses were held in June 2024 to see and provide feedback on the route segments before we file our MN route permit application.
File proposed route options in Minnesota We filed on October 22, 2024
Proposed Route Options have been submitted to the MN Public Utilities Commission, who will review and hold public hearings before deciding on the route permit.
Library & FAQs
Download project and permitting documents and find answers in our FAQ section.
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