Basin Electric Power Cooperative on May 25 filed with the North Dakota Public Service Commission its proposed findings of fact, conclusions of law, and order in relation to its proposed Neset to Northshore 230-kV Transmission Line.
As noted in the filing, Basin Electric in late January filed with the commission a consolidated application for a certificate of corridor compatibility and route permit for the approximately 26.5-mile line and a substation in Mountrail County, N.D. The line would extend from the existing Neset substation, four miles east of Tioga, to the proposed Northshore substation, eight miles south of Ross, N.D.
Basin Electric added that the line consists of about 155 structures that would be built using galvanized steel poles, with segments of the line using H-frame and monopole structures. The estimated cost of the project is $57.4, Basin Electric said, adding that it plans to complete construction by Oct. 31, 2022, with energization by the end of 2022.
Basin Electric said that the need for an additional 230-kV line is due to load growth in the area, specifically between Tioga and Parshall. A Southwest Power Pool (SPP) delivery point addition study identified thermal and voltage violations resulting from load additions in Mountrail Williams Electric Cooperative’s Service Area, jeopardizing reliability during contingency events, Basin Electric said, adding that the project would provide a new delivery point to avoid curtailment of the transmission system in the area.
Among other things, Basin Electric noted that it has secured easements from 94.5% of the individual landowners, as well as implemented measures to avoid and minimize effects to biological resources.
The proposed order calls for the commission to grant Basin Electric’s application and for Basin Electric to, for instance, obtain all other necessary licenses and permits before starting construction on such portion of the project for which the license and/or permit is required.
