Final route for Brookings County-Hampton 345 kV transmission line project

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MN PUC) granted a Route Permit for the Brookings County-Hampton 345 kilovolt (kV) transmission line project on July 15, 2010. The MN PUC approved approximately 175 miles of the 240-mile route for the sections between the Brookings County, South Dakota substation and the new Cedar Mountain substation in Renville County and between the new Helena and Hampton substations. An approximate 65-mile segment involving the crossing point of the Minnesota River has not yet been approved, as the MN PUC agreed to have the administrative law judge consider a June 10, 2010 letter from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding bird impacts at the Minnesota River and schedule a hearing if necessary to provide additional information on the river crossing.
 
The route is a combination of route segments proposed by the utilities when the application was filed in December 2008 as well as additional segments proposed during the public review process. Construction is expected to begin in late 2012 and be complete by 2015. CapX2020 will begin contacting landowners in mid-2011 to negotiate easements.
 
Detailed aerial photo route maps: Click within a numbered tile below to download a detailed map as a PDF. Click here for a high resolution overview map of the project (PDF). Click in an area outside the numbered tiles to see an enlarged overview map.