ITC Midwest on Jan. 27 told Minnesota regulators that it has completed stringing of the 161-kV line for “Segment 2” of its Minnesota-Iowa 345-kV Transmission Project and associated facilities in Jackson, Martin, and Faribault counties.
As noted in the filing, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) in November 2014 issued a route permit for ITC Midwest to build the project, and in May 2016, the PUC found the “Plan and Profile” filing for Segment 2 – from Structure 159 to Structure 242 – was in compliance with the route permit. All of Segment 2 is in Martin County, Minn., the company said.
Segment 2 is co-located for 5.6 miles on 161-kV/345-kV structures between the Fox Lake substation and the Rutland substation, the company said, noting that about 10.9 miles of the Fox Lake-Rutland 161-kV transmission line is located on 161-kV transmission structures along ITC Midwest-owned easements that existed at the time the route permit was issued.
No construction was completed on that portion of the Fox Lake-Rutland 161-kV transmission line, the company said.
ITC Midwest said that it intends to re-energize that 161-kV transmission line for the project by Feb. 3, and that the company will provide notice to the PUC at least three days before the 345-kV line is placed into service, in compliance with the route permit.
Consistent with Segment 1 of the project, construction, restoration and revegetation activities continue along Segment 2 of the project, including within the project’s right of way (ROW), the company said.
ITC is a Fortis (NYSE:FTS) company.