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Developers brief Cass County on proposed 345 kV Big Stone South–Hankinson–Bison transmission line
Summary
RGL Power officials told the Cass County commissioners they are developing a 75-mile, 345 kV Hankinson–Bison transmission segment as part of a wider regional JTIC planning effort, saying a federal grant will cover about 22% of costs and filings with state regulators are expected through 2028–2029.
RGL Power Company representatives presented the Big Stone South–Hankinson–Bison 345 kilovolt transmission project to the Cass County Board of Commissioners, describing it as a transmission-only upgrade intended to improve regional reliability, reduce congestion and expand access to lower-cost energy.
Craig Seingard, senior transmission project developer with RGL Power, said the project includes a roughly 75-mile Hankinson-to-Bison line and new or upgraded substations (the Bison substation, north of Mapleton, will be co-owned by Otter Tail Power and Xcel Energy). He told commissioners the project team has identified a study area and is developing corridors that will be narrowed to routes after additional public input and engineering work.
Seingard said a federal grant awarded to the project will offset approximately 22% of costs; he said remaining costs will be borne by generators that interconnect to the new line. He outlined a multi-year regulatory schedule: a South Dakota facility permit filing anticipated by the statutory deadline in 2026, a North Dakota certificate of public convenience and necessity filing planned in 2027, and corridor/route filings in 2028. The company’s high-level construction start estimate is 2030 with commercial service anticipated around 2034.
On design, Seingard said towers would use single-circuit, self-supporting monopoles of corten steel roughly 120 to 160 feet tall with right-of-way corridors about 150 feet wide. He said typical span lengths would range from 700 to 1,200 feet; minimum engineered ground clearance would be at least 26 feet (often designed to 32 feet to allow for conductor sag under heat and load).
Seingard described prior outreach: open houses held in mid-June for the northern segment, noting the team received substantial written and in-person feedback and expects to hold additional open houses later in the year. He provided project contacts and said the land-rights specialist and project team are available to answer landowner questions.
A commissioner asked about conductor material; Seingard said the project will use aluminum-conductor steel-reinforced (ACSR) conductors for this project and that final conductor selections depend on engineering and material availability.
The presentation was informational; no county permits or approvals were requested during the meeting.
