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Minnesota Power briefed Oliver County on DC converter‑station upgrades and local road impacts
Summary
Minnesota Power described plans to replace and raise certain transmission structures as part of a DC converter‑station upgrade, outlined environmental reviews and landowner coordination, and said road easements and state permits will be required for access and haul routes.
Minnesota Power staff described plans to upgrade DC converter‑station capacity and to replace a series of lattice towers with taller, direct‑buried steel monopoles. The company representative said the work is part of increasing converter capacity, that towers will generally be 10–15 feet taller and remain under FAA registration thresholds, and that structures will be repositioned within the existing right‑of‑way where possible.
Key points: Kyle Larson (Minnesota Power) said the upgrade will involve inline tower replacements (typically 65–90 ft existing towers to about 75–90 ft average after work on some lines), direct burial of monopoles rather than concrete foundations, environmental assessments (plant/cultural species checks), and landowner coordination for access and crop‑damage compensation. He estimated on‑site crews might finish a structure in a day and that the larger road and staging work would be staged next spring/summer.
Roads and permits: Company staff said county easements will be needed for work on 32nd Avenue SW and that state driveway permits are required for certain access points; the county emphasized signage requirements for truck traffic, tarping for loads and compliance with load‑pass permits. Commissioners and staff agreed to use an updated Minnesota Power road‑use agreement as a template for future projects and to require pre‑/mid‑/post‑project surveys and engineering inspection for road condition and restitution.
Quote: "We'll work with landowners for access, track damage and compensate for crop or access impacts," Minnesota Power said. "Where permits are required by the Public Service Commission, those are the regulatory channels."
