Transmission Improvement

For the Red River Valley & West Central Minnesota

Red River Valley Area

Fargo-Moorhead.

Red River Valley

Red River Valley

Red River ValleyLoad

2004: 1029 MW2011: 1223 MW2016: 1315 MW

Red River Valley

Studies Identified Several Critical Contingencies

Loss of Bulk Lines• Center-Jamestown-Maple River

• Dorsey-Forbes

Local load-serving benefits• Alexandria

• St. Cloud

• Loss Reduction of approximately 100 MW Real-time• Installation of Bemidji – Grand Rapids 230 kV Line

shows delay of project need by approximately 4 years• Projected need in Fargo area in 2018

Alexandria Area

Loss of Grant County – Elbow Lake Line causes low voltages Breaker and capacitor addition postpones local-area need

until 2013 or 2014 Loss of Elmo – Inman or Verndale – Wing River also causes

problems when combined with Grant County line

St. Cloud Area

Loss of Benton County – Granite City 115 kV DCTL causes low voltages and severe overloads

St. Regis load dropped automatically Cannot reconfigure Granite City without new area source to

provide support

The End