Minnkota Power Cooperative Joins North Plains Connector Utility Consortium
Minnkota Power Cooperative becomes the eighth utility in the North Plains Connector utility consortium, a group of utility participants who intend to invest in the HVDC transmission line connecting the Eastern and Western Interconnections.
North Plains Connector welcomes Minnkota Power Cooperative (Minnkota) as the eighth member of its utility consortium. Minnkota has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) with North Plains Connector LLC, a subsidiary of Grid United, to secure 150 megawatts of capacity on the 3,000-megawatt, high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line once it begins operations, subject to successful negotiation of definitive agreements.
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"North Plains Connector represents a promising opportunity to strengthen the regional grid and support long-term energy reliability and flexibility," said Mac McLennan, President and CEO of Minnkota Power Cooperative. "This project would create another strong transmission connection near Minnkota's generation resources, expanding market opportunities for that power while also enhancing our ability to serve members with reliable, affordable electricity. Just as importantly, the line would create another pathway to bring power resources from the west into our system, giving Minnkota additional flexibility to move electricity where it's needed and respond to changing energy demands."
Once completed, North Plains Connector will be the first HVDC transmission line in the United States to connect three regional electric energy markets – the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, the Western Interconnection, and the Southwest Power Pool – improving the reliability and resiliency of the electrical grid across the region while broadening market connections.
"The momentum on North Plains Connector is reflective of the regional utilities' commitment to serving their customers by expanding grid capacity in the most efficient and cost-effective way," said Colleen Nash, Leader of the North Plains Connector HVDC transmission project. "We are proud to welcome Minnkota to the utility consortium as the project's second North Dakota-based utility serving the MISO electricity market."
Grid United and ALLETE, Inc. are joint developers of North Plains Connector. Other members of the utility consortium with signed capacity MOUs with the project are: Avista (NYSE:AVA), BHE U.S. Transmission, MDU Resources (NYSE:MDU) subsidiary Montana-Dakota Utilities, NorthWestern Energy (NASDAQ:NWE), Portland General Electric (NYSE:POR), and Puget Sound Energy.
North Plains Connector represents a multi-billion-dollar investment in Montana and North Dakota and is expected to create over 800 jobs during construction. The transmission line will bidirectionally move electrical power of all generation sources based on market needs.
Construction on North Plains Connector is expected to commence in 2028, with expected operations in 2032. More information can be found at www.northplainsconnector.com.
About Minnkota Power Cooperative
Minnkota Power Cooperative is a not-for-profit electric generation and transmission cooperative headquartered in Grand Forks, N.D. Formed in 1940, Minnkota provides wholesale electric energy to 11 member-owner distribution cooperatives located in eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota. More information is available at https://www.minnkota.com/.
About North Plains Connector
North Plains Connector is a 420-mile, up-to-525-kilovolt, high-voltage direct current transmission line connecting the eastern and western U.S. electric grids in North Dakota and Montana. North Plains Connector will transport electrical power of all generation sources and bidirectionally move power along the line in response to demand. More information can be found at www.northplainsconnector.com.
About ALLETE, Inc.
ALLETE, Inc. is an energy company headquartered in Duluth, Minnesota. In addition to its regulated public utilities, Minnesota Power and Superior Water, Light and Power of Wisconsin, ALLETE owns ALLETE Clean Energy, based in Duluth, Minnesota; BNI Energy in Bismarck, North Dakota; and New Energy Equity, headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland; and has an 8% equity interest in the American Transmission Co. More information about ALLETE is available at www.allete.com.
About Grid United
Grid United is an independent transmission company developing the infrastructure needed to create a more resilient and efficient electric system to the benefit of all consumers. For more information, visit www.gridunited.com.
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Media contact:
Ashley Kang, External Affairs and Communications
press@gridunited.com