Planners approve Great River Energy’s Pilot Knob substation upgrade; variance granted for enclosure setback

The Eagan Advisory Planning Commission on Dec. 19 recommended approval of a variance to the minimum structure setback and a conditional use permit for Great River Energy’s planned rebuild and upgrade of the Pilot Knob substation at 4380 Pilot Knob Road, voting unanimously on both actions.

Pam Duzyak, the city planner presenting the application, said Great River Energy proposes to rebuild, expand and modernize the existing Pilot Knob substation and to upgrade about 8.5 miles of transmission line between Pilot Knob and the Burnsville substation to allow future capacity increases from 69 kilovolts to 115 kilovolts. The project includes removal of older equipment, installation of new equipment and an approximately 55-foot eastward expansion of the existing gravel pad.

Duzyak told the commission the tallest proposed tower structures are 57 feet with lightning rods extending to 67 feet. The electrical enclosure building would measure about 24 by 36 feet and is shown at…