MARSHALL — Starting next week, a group of three electric providers will be holding public meetings about a proposed new 765-kilovolt transmission line project.

The new power line project would run through southwest and southern Minnesota, connecting a substation near Brookings, S.D., with substations in Martin County and near Rochester, Xcel spokespeople said earlier this month.

Xcel Energy, Great River Energy, and ITC Midwest will hold open-house meetings in Lake Benton and Marshall on Monday. From there, the series of meetings will continue in cities including Pipestone, Fulda, Worthington, Luverne, Heron Lake, Windom, Fairmont and more.

A news release from Xcel, Great River Energy and ITC Midwest said the open houses will give landowners and community members a chance to learn more about the proposed project, meet project staff and ask questions.

The proposed transmission project, called PowerOn Midwest, would help the region meet increased needs for electricity, and help make the power grid more reliable, providers said. PowerOn Midwest includes a proposed 765-kilovolt transmission line as a “backbone” for the project, a news release said.

The proposed transmission line is larger than previous power lines built in southwest Minnesota over the past 20 years. Those projects built 345-kilovolt lines.

Power providers said property owners within the study area for the PowerOn Midwest project received letters the week of Oct. 20, inviting them to attend open house meetings. Spokespeople for the providers are also in the process of speaking with county commissioners in the proposed project area.

The first of the PowerOn Midwest open house meetings will be Monday from 10 a.m. to noon at the Lake Benton Community and Event Center, and from 4-6 p.m. at Five Family Ranch just outside Marshall.

On Nov. 4, meetings will be held at the Hiawatha Lodge in Pipestone at 10 a.m. and the Fulda American Legion at 4 p.m. On Nov. 5, meetings will be held at the Worthington Events Center at 10 a.m. and the Generations Events Center in Luverne at 4 p.m. On Nov. 6, meetings will be held at 10 and 4 at the Heron Lake Community Center.

Open houses will continue the week of Nov. 10 in Cottonwood, Martin, Faribault, Freeborn, Dodge, Mower and Goodhue counties. On Nov. 10, meetings will be held at the Windom Community Center at 10 a.m. and the Fairmont Knights of Columbus at 4 p.m.

A full schedule of meetings can be found online at PowerOnMidwest.com.