Otter Tail Power briefs Cass County on 345 kV Maple River2Cuyuna transmission plan

Craig Steingard of Otter Tail Power Company gave the board a detailed introduction to the Maple River2Cuyuna transmission project, a regional reliability and capacity upgrade in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) footprint.

Steingard said the line would be approximately 160 miles long, a single 345 kV circuit initially and co-owned by Otter Tail Power, Minnesota Power and Great River Energy. "This is a cone project with 2 or 2 other owners, so Otter Tail Power Company, Minnesota Power, as well as Great River Energy," Steingard said. He described the line as double-circuit-capable but planned to be operated as a single circuit until additional capacity is needed.

Project milestones the presenter cited include public open houses (June and October 2025), routing and stakeholder engagement in 2025, North Dakota permitting and land-rights work in 20262C and targeted construction in 20292C2032 with a service date around 2033. In North Dakota the presenters said the county portion of the route is limited (about 6208 to 10 miles); most of the route is on the Minnesota side and is subject to Minnesota's stronger co-location preferences.

Technical details included a typical minimum right-of-way of 150 feet, average structures of 5207 per mile and structure heights commonly between 120 and 180 feet. Steingard noted engineering, environmental surveys and right-of-way acquisition are next steps; he also encouraged landowners to use the project hotline and website to flag parcel-level concerns.

Commissioners asked about reliability metrics and whether the project responds to near-term load increases; Steingard said MISO's planning models look decades ahead and that the project is intended to meet long-term regional needs rather than a specific near-term single-site load.

The board received the presentation; no formal action was taken on the transmission project during the meeting.