Otter Tail Power continues work on transmission line project
Mar. 5—JAMESTOWN — Otter Tail Power Co. is working on securing land rights for a regional electric transmission line between Jamestown and Ellendale, a company official said.
The Jamestown to Ellendale 345 kV transmission line project consists of five components, said Todd Langston, project manager for Otter Tail Power Co. He said the project includes upgrades to four substations, including one located north of Jamestown along N.D. Highway 20 and another west of Ellendale, North Dakota. The other component is the construction of about 90 miles of transmission line from Jamestown to Ellendale.
Langston presented information about the project at the Stutsman County Commission meeting on Tuesday, March 5.
Otter Tail Power is working with Montana-Dakota Utilities at the request of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator. The Midcontinent Independent System Operator manages the power grid for a 15-state area and parts of the province of Manitoba. The project is part of Midcontinent Independent System Operator's Longe-Range transmission planning initiative to improve the power grid.
Plans call for constructing about 90 miles of transmission line connecting the Otter Tail substation north of Jamestown along N.D. Highway 20 to the Montana-Dakota substation near Ellendale. The line will have a 345-kilovolt capacity.
Construction on the project could start in 2025 or 2026 depending on when the route permit is approved.
Langston said the transmission line will have double circuit capability but only one circuit will be strung at this time.
He said the project will use steel monopoles that are self weathering and self supporting. He said the poles will be 150 feet high and there will be four to six per mile on average.
Langston said the land rights are being secured starting in the Ellendale area working north. He said a 150-foot-wide easement is being requested.
"We will secure those easements by either option or easement depending on the landowner's preference," he said. "We are working with some developers along the way because they have some of these land, some of this property tied up in their options. ... We have to work with them to get a release on part of that option to be able to get an easement."
The payments will be 100% of the land values which will be determined by the latest land sales. The land values would be equalized during the acquisition window.
"We also changed all land types, tilled, pasture, etc. will be treated equally," he said.
Once easements are acquired, a route permit application will be sent to the North Dakota Public Service Commission.
"That will happen later on this year hopefully," Langston said.
He added that necessary documents have been filed and sent to the Public Service Commission.
The county commission unanimously approved sending a letter of support to the Federal Railroad Administration for the reestablishment of the North Coast Hiawatha long distance passenger train route.
Commissioner Jerry Bergquist said the North Coast Hiawatha long distance passenger train route once ran through the southern half of North Dakota including Jamestown.
In December, the Federal Railroad Administration awarded $8.2 billion for 10 passenger rail projects in the U.S. Amtrak's North Coast Hiawatha, which is overseen by the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority, would restore an Amtrak route that was discontinued in 1979. The route would go through North Dakota cities along Interstate 94 from Chicago to Seattle.
"If we have an opportunity to try and bring the train passenger traffic back through this area, I think we should try to do it," Bergquist said.
The letter of support should also include that a stop in Jamestown would also be preferred, said Corry Shevlin, CEO of the Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corp.
In other business, the county commission unanimously approved the South Central Dakota Regional Council dues for 2024 at more than $36,400.
The city of Jamestown's share is about $23,000 and the county's share is almost $13,500.
