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Xcel Energy outlines Power on Midwest plan, engineers defend 765 kV design
Summary
Xcel Energy representatives described a regional 765 kV transmission project, explained technical reasons for high‑voltage lattice towers and an 8‑mile study corridor near Brookings County, and outlined a permitting schedule that would begin with a South Dakota PUC filing planned for September 2026.
Xcel Energy representatives presented details of the proposed Power on Midwest high‑voltage transmission project to the Brookings County Commission on March 3, 2026, saying the line is designed to address projected regional electricity demand and retirements of older power plants.
Randy Fordyce, who said he is working on the project for Xcel, described the engineering rationale for 765 kilovolt (kV) technology and lattice‑style towers, saying a single 765 kV tower can carry as much energy as multiple 345 kV circuits while reducing total right‑of‑way footprint. "A single 765 kV tower can deliver the same amount of energy as three double‑circuit 345 kV towers," Fordyce said, noting a 250‑foot right‑of‑way (about 125 feet on each side) would typically be required.
Fordyce walked commissioners through the project routing process, which he said began in fall 2025 with notice areas and rounds of open houses to solicit community input. He described an approximately 8‑mile‑wide study corridor near the Brookings substation and emphasized Xcel’s preference to avoid homes and follow field or section lines where possible. He said Xcel aims to file a facility permit application with the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission by September 2026, with county conditional‑use permit applications to follow in early 2027. If approved, Fordyce told the commission, negotiations over easements would begin in late 2027 or early 2028 and construction could occur in the early 2030s.
Commissioners asked about tower height and visual scale; Fordyce said lattice towers for the 765 kV design would be roughly 150–175 feet tall, about 10–40 feet taller than many existing lattice towers, and would generally be spaced about 1,100–1,200 feet apart depending on topography. He also described how the South Dakota PUC process and local county permits typically interact and said Xcel intends to attain approximately 70% easement options from landowners before finalizing routing details.
Fordyce closed by pointing residents to an interactive map and Xcel’s project website for route options and said company staff monitor the project hotline and email for questions.
The commission did not take action on the project; Fordyce said the filing and county permit applications would begin later in 2026 and that Xcel staff would continue local outreach in the meantime.
