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Great River Energy updates Sherburne County on Northland Reliability Project route, schedule and local impacts
Summary
Great River Energy outlined routing, permitting and construction timing for the Northland Reliability Project transmission line; Public Utilities Commission approved a route in February and construction phases are planned to begin in 2025 with work in Sherburne County planned for late summer/early fall.
Great River Energy officials updated the Sherburne County Board on the Northland Reliability Project, a high-voltage double-circuit transmission line running from Minnesota’s Iron Range toward central Minnesota and the Big Oaks substation near the Sherco plant.
"The big news for us is that the Public Utilities Commission approved our route on February 28 of this year," said Brian Hunker of Great River Energy, summarizing recent regulatory progress. Hunker said the project will rely heavily on co-location with existing transmission rights-of-way and consolidations of older lines to reduce new right-of-way needs.
Hunker described phase sequencing and local work plans: construction will proceed south to north in three phases, with material deliveries expected as early as August–September 2025 in Sherburne County. Work will include tree clearing, soil borings at structure locations, installation of foundations (concrete piers and anchor cages), crane-set steel monopole structures and wire-stringing; restoration follows construction. Typical construction hours are expected to be up to 12 hours a day, six days a week (roughly 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.).
Hunker told the board the project team is adjusting local alignments to move poles out of water bodies and to reduce impacts, and that they intend to work with landowners on structure siting. "We are working with landowners to situate the new monopoles where they'll be the most conducive and not cost these agriculture producers too much revenue," he said in response to commissioner concerns about center-pivot irrigation systems near planned pole locations.
County commissioners pressed for careful siting around agricultural pivots and for ongoing coordination on road use agreements, driveway permits and park crossings. Hunker said surveys (environmental and cultural), final soil borings and land-easement documents are underway and that the project team will mail a quarterly newsletter and maintain a project hotline and website.
Commissioners asked about noise, lights and traffic during construction; Hunker said temporary access matting, sediment controls, and localized traffic for material delivery and laydown areas are expected and that the team would try to avoid road closures but would coordinate with county authorities if closures become necessary.
Ending: The board received the update and had no recorded objection to continuing permitting and design work. Great River Energy said it will continue local coordination as engineering and permitting move forward through 2027 and into construction phases in Sherburne County.
