The new line is proposed to be constructed somewhere in a 12-mile north-south radius just south of Farmington. It will begin in Brookings, S.D., and run eastward to Hampton, where it will connect with an existing 345 kV line. Though Farmington is not in the area targeted for the power line's construction, Eureka, Castle Rock and the southern part of Empire townships are.

The project's official name is "Capacity Expansion by 2020," or "CapX2020" for short. It is being driven by an alliance of 11 different utility companies throughout the region, which covers all of Minnesota as well as parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Wisconsin.

The power line planned for this area is one of three 345 kV lines proposed at different areas of the state as part of the the CapX2020 project. The project also includes construction of one 230 kV line between Bemidji and Grand Rapids.

A public hearing for residents of this area is scheduled for next Tuesday, in Cannon Falls. It is one of many meetings still to come during the CapX2020 planning process.

The need

Randy Fordice, project communications coordinator with Great River Energy, has been to quite a few meetings so far in this planning process.

All of the state's power utility companies have seen an increase in demand over recent years, Fordice said. Without building additional lines, the utility companies will not be able to keep up with the growth and demand. Already, the need increases by about 2 percent, Fordice said. The projections show an increase of about 4,000 to 6,000 megawatts of electricity by 2020. To put that into perspective, one megawatt is enough to power about 800 homes.

"We're all seeing the same thing. The existing grid is reaching capacity, and we're not going to be able to continue service with all the growth the area has seen,"Fordice said.

This year, lawmakers passed new legislation requiring electricity providers to supply at least 25 percent of electricity through renewable energy by the year 2025. While that is the state standard, Xcel Energy has implemented its own goal of having 30 percent of its electricity generated through renewable energy by 2020, Fordice added.

The power line being planned for this area will connect to a wind farm in northern Iowa or southwestern Minnesota. There, a number of wind turbines - today's version of the windmill - will generate electricity. Most wind turbines kick out about 1.5 megawatts of electricity, and the plan is to produce 600 to 700 megawatts through their use.

The process

In order for the project to happen - as it is being regulated by several state agencies - two applications have to be submitted for approval.

The first, a certificate of need, was filed in August. It was a document of about 1,000 pages, detailing current numbers, projections, cost estimates, transmission line characteristics, system improvements, schedules and so on. About a month before it was submitted, the utility company consortium sent out letters to about 73,000 residents explaining what was going on, and listing a number of public meetings.

During a recent meeting at Eureka Township, planners learned there were a number of private air strips in Dakota County.

"Those are the kinds of things you can't necessarily find while looking at a map," Fordice said.

The information received will be used by the Minnesota Department of Commerce to create a document reflecting the environmental impacts of the proposed project.

One of those meetings is planned from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 18 at Grandpa's Event Center in Cannon Falls. The meeting will be informal, and includes presentations from Minnesota Department of Commerce representatives, as well as representatives of the CapX2020 utilities.

The Cannon Falls meeting is the last scheduled as this part of the process. Over the next six months, the comments collected with be incorporated into a draft environmental study. When that is complete, the public will be able to view and comment on it before the final report comes out about a year from now.

The other permit needed is a route permit, which outlines where the proposed transmission lines will eventually be placed. In February, the CapX2020 planners will begin holding meetings with routing work groups made of of 10 to 20 people from different areas of the state. They, too, will look at environmental issues, as well as other factors that may play into determining where the lines should be built. Residents can stay updated and involved by visiting the CapX2020 web site, www.capx2020.com.

More open houses will follow in March and April, so residents can comment on the proposed routes.

Construction

Assuming both permits are received, easement discussions will begin in a couple of years, Fordice said. Construction of the new transmission lines probably will not begin until 2011.

Rate payers from all area power utility companies will see an increase in their bills as a result of the CapX2020 construction, he added. Though Fordice could not put a specific amount on how much the increase to utility bills will be - probably $1.50 to $2 a month - the project itself is going to cost $1.4 billion, which will be divided among all 11 utility companies.