Great River Energy updates county on Northland Reliability transmission project; no route change in Morrison County

Brian Hunker of Great River Energy updated the Morrison County Board of Commissioners on the Northland Reliability Project, a high-voltage transmission program that will rebuild or co-locate lines across a long regional route.

Hunker described the project as "a new, double circuit 345 kV transmission line" and said it will run roughly 80 miles with about 90% co-location of existing corridors after the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved the route. He said the project includes expansions or work at the Iron Range substation, a Cuyuna Series Compensation Station near Riverton and the Big Oak substation (the Big Oak substation is entering construction under Xcel Energy).

Hunker explained the project schedule is divided into three construction phases: work from Benton County south to Sherco and Big Oak (phase 1, 2025–27), the segment that includes Morrison County as phase 2, and phase 3 north to Iron Range. He said field surveys and soil borings are under way, landowner option documents are in circulation and easements will be recorded once agreements are finalized.

Construction practices described included tree and vegetation clearing in new rights-of-way, use of matting and drilled-pier foundations. "Foundations are gonna be 8 to 12 feet in diameter depending on soil conditions. They'll be 20, 30 feet deep on average," Hunker said, describing the drilled-pier method and anchor-bolt connections for steel structures. Typical working hours during construction were described as Monday–Saturday, roughly 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Commissioners asked about public pushback and contractors. Hunker said survey, staking and soil-boring crews and several contractors (HDR Engineering, Westwood Professional Services, Michaels and subcontractors such as Northern Clearing) will operate on private property only after owner contact. He repeated that in Morrison County "there are no changes to the route as approved by the PUC."

Why it matters: the project will cross county townships and private properties; landowners along the corridor should expect surveys, tree clearing and construction access requests and may receive option and easement paperwork.

Great River Energy provided a project website, an interactive map and a hotline for questions; Hunker said the project will maintain the contact line through construction.