Eagan council approves Great River Energy substation expansion, grants variance and conditional use permit

The Eagan City Council approved a conditional use permit and a 10-foot variance to the required 30-foot setback Tuesday for Great River Energy’s plan to rebuild and expand an electrical substation at 4380 Pilot Knob Road.

City Planner Schultz said the project would rebuild existing equipment, add new transmission structures and raise line capacity from 69 kilovolts to 115 kilovolts to “provide more reliable and resilient electrical service and accommodate future growth.” Schultz said the expansion will extend the fenced substation about 55 feet to the east and add two sets of three tower structures. The towers are 57 feet tall with lightning rods extending to about 67 feet, and the site includes a 24-by-36-foot nonhabitable electrical enclosure.

The project requires a conditional use permit…