PSC holds hearing for proposed transmission line in Dunn and McKenzie counties

The North Dakota Public Service Commission (NDPSC) held a hearing on Feb. 16 in Killdeer, North Dakota, to consider a 32.5-mile high-voltage transmission line proposed by Basin Electric. The 345-kilovolt (kV) line would connect the existing Roundup substation near Killdeer in Dunn County to the Kummer Ridge substation near Johnson’s Corner in McKenzie County. Basin Electric is seeking a Certificate of Corridor Compatibility and Route Permit from the NDPSC.

Basin Electric project team members provided testimony about the proposed line and answered questions from the three Public Service Commissioners and staff.

Philip Westby, Basin Electric manager of Transmission Services, testified regarding the need for the line. He said the line would ensure a redundant feed to the load being served at the Kummer Ridge substation and would also provide a parallel path in the case of an outage of another nearby 345-kV line. “The transmission analysis indicates the transmission system will not be able to accommodate any more load growth if more transmission is not built into the area. The project will meet the needs of the northwestern North Dakota area for the foreseeable future and will increase the load-serving limits in the area,” he said.

Other witnesses providing testimony included Bobby Nasset, Basin Electric supervisor of Civil Engineering and project manager; Erin Dukart, Basin Electric director of Environmental Services; and Mike Murray, Basin Electric director of Property and Right-of-Way. Anine Merkens, Basin Electric senior staff counsel, served as legal counsel for the project at the hearing. 

The hearing provided an opportunity for the public to voice support or concerns regarding the project. Pending the NDPSC’s ruling on the project, construction on the line would begin this spring and be completed by the end of the year.