Area residents got a closer look at parts of southwest Minnesota being studied for a proposed 765-kV power line project running from South Dakota to Wisconsin.

MARSHALL — Spokespeople for a group of electric utilities said a new power line project in southern Minnesota would help supply energy needs in the Midwest.

“One (need) is increased electric growth,” said Randy Fordice, of Xcel Energy, during an open-house meeting in Marshall on Monday. While energy demands grow, electric utilities are also looking at the retirement of old power plants, and the increased use of renewable energy sources, Fordice said. “If you kind of add all those things together . . . we will be to a point soon where the existing system is not able to provide reliable energy.”

More than 50 people attended open-house meetings in Lincoln and Lyon County on Monday to learn about a proposed 765-kilovolt transmission line that would run from South Dakota to the Rochester area. The project, called PowerOn Midwest, is being proposed by a partnership of Xcel Energy, Great River Energy, ITC Midwest, and Otter Tail Power.

The proposed transmission line would be bigger than other transmission lines built in the Marshall area over the past 20 years. Previous If the project is approved, construction on the transmission lines could begin as early as 2030, project spokespeople said.

Fordice said the proposed PowerOn Midwest project would help address long-range planning needs for electricity across several Midwestern states.

Fordice said the PowerOn Midwest project will be applying for a certificate of need from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission in February. Letters notifying landowners will be sent out in January, he said.

At this stage, there’s not a lot of detail as to where the proposed transmission lines will run. The area being studied for the transmission line includes parts of more than a dozen counties in southwest Minnesota and across the southern edge of the state. The area includes the southern half of Lyon County, as well as Nordland, Island Lake, and parts of Grandview and Lynd Townships.

The study area also includes all of Lincoln, Pipestone, Murray, Rock and Nobles Counties, and part of Redwood County.

The proposed 765-kilovolt power lines would have a different tower structure than existing transmission lines in southwest Minnesota, Fordice said. The towers would be about 150 to 175 feet tall, and 140 to 150 feet wide. The tower structures would require a right-of-way about 250 feet across. The proposed transmission line route would not be able to make sharp turns, compared to previous transmission projects in the region. “We are likely going to need to find straighter routes” for the project, Fordice said.

The transmission lines would have a clearance of about 60 to 80 feet, Fordice said. In comparison, previous transmission lines like the CapX 2020 project had a clearance of 34 feet, he said.

When the PowerOn Midwest project applies for a certificate of need, the application will go through a process including preparing an environmental report, and holding public hearings, Fordice said.

If the project receives a certificate of need, providers would also need to apply for a route permit for the project. The route permit process includes more public meetings, drafting an environmental impact statement (EIS), and public hearings on the EIS.

Fordice said one major difference in the process for the PowerOn Midwest project would be that they would only be allowed to propose one route for the project. This was due to a 2024 Minnesota legislative change, he said.

More open-house meetings across southern Minnesota will be held this week and next week. Today, there will be meetings held at the Hiawatha Lodge in Pipestone at 10 a.m. and the Fulda American Legion at 4 p.m.

More information on the proposed project is available online at PowerOnMidwest.com.