1. Can you tell me more about CapX 2020?
2. Why are these lines being proposed?
3. Where will the energy that flows on the new lines come from?
4. Will wind energy be on the new lines?
5. Who will benefit from the transmission improvements?
6. How will I find out if my property potentially is affected?
7. How can I get involved?
8. What can landowners who host any new transmission lines expect in the form of compensation?
9. What do transmission structures look like?
10. Will the new lines be safe?
11. What about EMF?
12. Why not build the new lines underground?
13. When will the lines be built?
14. How much will the lines cost? Will my bills go up?

1. Can you tell me more about CapX 2020?

CapX 2020 is a joint transmission planning effort among 11 utilities that own transmission lines in Minnesota and the surrounding region. Planning studies show that the region will see significant electricity growth in the coming decade, and the proposed CapX 2020 high voltage transmission lines will help meet that growth.

• Bemidji–Grand Rapids, 68 miles, 230-kV
• Fargo–Alexandria–St. Cloud–Monticello, 250 miles, 345-kV
• SE Twin Cities–Rochester–La Crosse, 150 miles, 345-kV
• Brookings, SD–SE Twin Cities, 200 miles, 345-kV

The 11 utilities proposing the lines include those that serve the majority of customers in Minnesota and surrounding region, and include investor-owned utilities, electric cooperatives and municipal utilities.

See fact sheet CapX 2020 Proposed Transmission Line Projects for more information.

2. Why are these lines being proposed?

The lines are being proposed for multiple reasons. Planning studies show that Minnesota and the surrounding region’s electric use will grow between 4,000 and 6,000 megawatts (MW) by 2020, which is more than the current system can handle. One megawatt is enough to power approximately 800 average homes.

It has been more than 25 years since there was a major expansion of the high voltage electric transmission system in the region. During that time electricity consumption in MN has doubled. Additionally, homes in MN with central air conditioning have doubled in the last 25 years and the average Midwest home is almost 40 percent larger than it was 30 years ago. In 1975, more than half of all households owned one TV…today about half of homes have three or more TVs.  Farms and factories are much more automated and productive than they were 25 years ago. All of those things, along with projected job and population growth, contribute to the need for additional electric transmission infrastructure. Additional information on how Americans are using more electricity is available in this fact sheet: Need for Reliable Electricity Rises with Demands.

3. Where will the energy that flows on the new lines come from?

Due to the interconnected nature of the transmission system and the nature of electricity, which flows like water in a stream, it’s generally difficult to identify a specific source of electricity on the transmission grid.

The transmission lines being proposed will serve the expected growth in the region and help begin to meet the new Minnesota Renewable Energy Standard, which requires that utilities deliver 25 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2025 (Xcel Energy is mandated to deliver 30 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020, with 25 percent from wind). Most of that energy will come from wind turbines.

4. Will wind energy be on the new lines?

Minnesota is ranked ninth in the country for wind energy potential (North Dakota is ranked first), much of which is located along the Buffalo Ridge area in southern and southwest Minnesota (the Buffalo Ridge extends from Iowa, through Minnesota and the Dakotas). The proposed Brookings, SD-Twin Cities 345- kilovolt line will expand access to these rich wind resources by adding about 700 MW of capacity for wind energy on the transmission system. Along with other projects currently under construction or in the planning stages, there will be nearly 2,000 MW of wind energy on the system. It is estimated that the state needs approximately 5,000 MW of wind energy to meet the renewable energy standard, which is the most aggressive renewable energy law in the nation.

5. Who will benefit from the transmission improvements?

All electricity customers in Minnesota and the surrounding region will benefit from a more robust and reliable electric transmission system. The CapX 2020 project will address potentially serious local reliability issues in Rochester, St. Cloud, La Crosse and the Alexandria area. Reliable and affordable electricity is the backbone to a robust economy and vibrant community. Additionally, the expansion of the renewable energy industry in Minnesota will benefit the entire state and region.

6. How will I find out if my property potentially is affected?

In July 2007 the utilities sent out 73,000 notice letters to landowners in three ‘notice study corridors’, in which they propose to build the three 345-kV transmission lines. The letters explained the project and briefed landowners on how to become involved. The CapX 2020 utilities held 24 open houses throughout the 345-kV corridors in September and October 2007 to inform landowners about the projects and begin to take information about potential routes that could be recommended in the Route Permit Applications, which will be filed in mid/late 2008.

The CapX 2020 utilities will hold more detailed routing open houses for the proposed 345-kV lines in Spring and Summer 2008 as those corridors are narrowed and more detailed options are considered. The utilities plan to file a Route Permit application for the Bemidji-Grand Rapids 230-kV project in December 2007.

7. How can I get involved?

You can provide comments to the utilities on both routing and need on the CapX2020.com home page or by sending letters to or calling the project contacts (click on project links above for contact information).

We value all comments, information and suggestions that individuals send in and take the information into account when developing our proposals.

To provide comments directly to the MN Department of Commerce, which develops the environmental reports for the proposals, visit www.commerce.state.mn.us, and to provide comments to the MN Public Utilities Commission, which makes the final decisions on both the Certificate of Need and Route Permit Applications, visit www.puc.state.mn.us. The fact sheet linked above provides detailed information on how to get involved at each stage of the process.

The CapX 2020 utilities also will seek need determinations for each of the proposed transmission line projects from the North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin utility regulatory commissions. The utilities anticipate starting these processes in Spring 2008. In addition, similar review, permit and approval processes are required for project lines and facilities from the WI, ND and SD commissions.

8. What can landowners who host any new transmission lines expect in the form of compensation?

The utilities will provide fair compensation in the form of a one-time easement payment to property owners who host power lines. Property owners retain ownership of the land and may continue to use the land around transmission structures. The CapX 2020 Understanding Easements and Rights-of-Way fact sheet provides more information on transmission line easements.

9. What do transmission structures look like?

The CapX 2020 utilities are proposing single-pole steel structures for the three 345-kV lines and H-frame structures for the 230-kV Bemidji to Grand Rapids line. Single pole structures are made of self-weathering or galvanized steel and placed on foundations. Single-pole structures vary in height from 120 to 170 feet. Spans (or distance) between structures range from 800 to 1000 feet. H-frame structures are two wood or steel poles with cross bracing and conductor supports. They can be embedded in the ground without a foundation and vary in height from 75 to 150 feet with spans between structures ranging from 600 to 900 feet. The following fact sheet provides photos of the types of structures: Proposed transmission line infrastructure fact sheet.

10. Will the new lines be safe?

Yes. Every effort is made to ensure safety in construction, operation and maintenance of transmission lines. Lines and line structures are designed to withstand extreme weather conditions. Protective devices at line terminals stop the flow of electricity under any abnormal operating circumstances. Utility practices meet or exceed standards set by the national electric safety codes and safety codes adopted by local governments.

11. What about EMF?

Electric and magnetic fields, called EMF for short, are created by anything that conducts electricity, including transmission lines, household appliances and business equipment. These fields are strongest closest to their source, so the farther you are away from the source, the amount of EMF reaching your body will be substantially less. EMF exposure from transmission lines, which are high in the air and outside the negotiated easement, is minimal. More detailed information on EMF is located here: http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/

Additionally, decades of scientific and medical research, reviewed by science organizations and government agencies, have found no cause/effect evidence of threats to human health from EMF.

For more information, as well as an extensive list of references, review a booklet prepared by the National Institute of Environmental Health Services, National Institute of Health, www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/emf/

12. Why not build the new lines underground?

The main reasons the utilities are proposing overhead lines are reliability and cost. Underground transmission lines generally cost up to ten times as much as overhead lines, and that’s a cost impact that Minnesota customers cannot bear. Secondly, the technology to build lines for long distances underground is extremely difficult to manage. With overhead structures, air is used to cool the lines and keep them at a safe operating temperature. When placed underground, cooling mechanisms must be used, which increases the cost and decreases reliability. Locating and repairing line failures also takes longer on underground systems, leading to longer outages. The reactive losses of the cable are substantially higher than overhead lines, and installation requires lengthy, disruptive construction techniques. Design concerns such as capacity and heat dissipation are frequent limitations. Underground systems are justified primarily in heavily populated downtown urban centers, where right-of-way is severely limited for overhead lines.

13. When will the lines be built?

The lines are expected to be constructed between 2012 and 2015 after a rigorous public process to determine need and routing. The Certificate of Need application for the three 345-kV lines was filed with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission in August 2007, and is expected to take up to 18 months to be decided. The CapX 2020 utilities will file Route Permit applications in late 2008, and those decisions are expected to take up to 15 months, with a final decision on project routes being determined in late 2009 or early 2010. The CapX 2020 utilities expect to file a Certificate of Need and a Route Permit for the Bemidji-Grand Rapids project in December 2007.

Schedules can change, so please continue to check the CapX 2020 web site and read your local newspaper and project newsletters for continued information. Utilities will publish notices of meetings in newspapers and on the Web site.

14. How much will the lines cost? Will my bills go up?

The Group One projects are estimated to cost between $1.4 and $1.7 billion (2007 dollars). Transmission costs generally comprise approximately seven percent of a customer’s bill. In that cast, Xcel Energy customers can expect an increase of less than $2.00 per month.