Joint $8 M project for power upgrade in Willmar
Willmar Municipal Utilities and Great River Energy are planning a joint project to upgrade the power transmission system in Willmar.
Image source: West Central Tribune
USA, Minnesota, Willmar: Willmar Municipal Utilities and Great River Energy are planning a joint project to upgrade the power transmission system in Willmar.
The project would see the addition of a 230 / 115 kV transformer and breakers to the Willmar substation.
Additional 115 kV breakers would be brought to the Priam substation and the 115 kV transmission line between the Priam and Willmar substations would be connected.
The two utilities will split ownership of the project, that could cost around $8 M. The Municipal Utilities Commission gave staff permission to go ahead with planning the project, as well as re-appropriate capital improvement dollars to pay for it.
With the new project, Willmar Municipal Utilities wants to increase its investment and ownership in transmission infrastructure, with the goal to be closer to revenue neutral when it comes to transmission costs.
Willmar Municipal Utilities pays to use transmission assets owned by other utilities and receives payments when others use its assets. Currently, Willmar pays more than it earns. Increasing its transmission ownership will get Willmar Municipal Utilities closer to even between the two.
The commission, at its 23 March meeting, authorised staff to move ahead with the ownership split, enter into an agreement with Great River Energy to do the substation engineering design and hire DGR Engineering as the owner’s representative.
The plan is for the new transmission assets to be in service by spring 2022.
Source: West Central Tribune