On July 28, 2006, Great River Energy (GRE) applied for a transmission line route permit for the proposed Mud Lake to Lake Wilson 115 kilovolt transmission line in Crow Wing County.  GRE simultaneously filed an application for a Certificate of Need (CN) for this project. 

GRE proposes to build a new 115 kilovolt (kV) high voltage transmission line (HVTL) from the Mud Lake substation owned by Minnesota Power to the Wilson Lake Substation owned by GRE�s distribution customer Mille Lacs Energy Cooperative.  The length of the proposed transmission line is approximately 12 miles.  GRE also proposes a 4.55 acre expansion of the Wilson Lake substation to accommodate new transmission and distribution infrastructure related to this project. 

GRE�s proposed route begins at the Mud Lake Substation and parallels an existing 230 kV transmission line to the Oak Lawn Substation, a distance of about 1.5 miles.  At the Oak Lawn Substation, the proposed line will turn eastward and run parallel to Minnesota Trunk Highway 18 (TH 18) to the Wilson Lake Substation, a distance of approximately 10.5 miles.  GRE indicates that it would build the proposed transmission line approximately 5 to 10 feet outside of the TH 18 right-of-way on easements to be acquired if a route permit is issued.  GRE has not specified a preference for the north or south side of TH 18, nor a combination.

Proposed high voltage transmission lines with a voltage between 100 kV and 200 kV are eligible for the Alternative Review Process (Minnesota Rule 4400.2010) of the Power Plant Siting Act (Minnesota Statutes 116C.51 to 116C.69).  The GRE Mud Lake to Wilson Lake route permit application will be reviewed under this process.  

Documents related to the route permit application and review are available on this web site.  Documents related to the Certificate of Need and route permit application are availabel on the PUC's eFiling web site at: https://www.edockets.state.mn.us/EFiling/search.jsp  Search using docket 06-367 for the Certificate of Need and 06-980 for the route permit application.