Open houses planned for Leland Olds-to-Tande transmission project

Basin Electric has planned a series of open houses along the corridor of a transmission project planned for western North Dakota. The Leland Olds Station-to-Tande project includes 175 miles of new 345-kilovolt (kV) transmission line between the existing Leland Olds Station substation near Stanton, North Dakota to the existing Tande substation near Tioga, North Dakota, as well as a new substation near Belden, North Dakota.

Bobby Nasset, Basin Electric, the project's manager and supervisor of Civil Engineering, said a wide corridor has been outlined, but no specific route has been established.

Landowners and other interested parties along the corridor are invited to attend any of the three planned dates and locations. Refreshments will be provided.

Tuesday, Oct. 18 • 6-8 p.m. Central Time
Mountrail County South Complex, Stanley, North Dakota

Wednesday, Oct. 19 • 6-8 p.m. Central Time
Community Center, Ryder, North Dakota

Thursday, Oct. 20 • 6-8 p.m. Central Time
City Hall Gym, Underwood, North Dakota

Nasset said the Leland Olds-to-Tande 345-kV transmission project was deemed necessary for the reliability of the transmission system by Southwest Power Pool (SPP), a regional transmission organization. “The project will increase the load-serving capability of the regional transmission system and provide more reliable service to electric cooperative customers,” he said.

SPP is the regional transmission organization that administers bulk electric transmission system reliability upgrades and generation interconnections. Basin Electric received a Notification to Construct Approved Reliability Network Upgrades Notice from SPP in May 2022.

Basin Electric is the designated transmission owner for the upgrade, which includes a new 345/115-kV substation (name to be determined), which will provide a new delivery point for Basin Electric Class C member Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative, and the reconstruction of a substation at Leland Olds Station.

Construction will take about 18 months once all easements and permits have been obtained. The project is planned to be energized in late 2025.