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CapX 2020 utilities have scheduled open houses in 10 communities, including Arlington and Glencoe, to provide information to local residents and landowners who may be affected by a proposed high-voltage transmission line between Brookings, S.D. and the southeast Twin Cities.

An open house will be held at the Arlington Community Center on Wednesday, Sept. 19 from 9 a.m. to noon and 3 – 7 p.m. An open house will be held at the Pla-Mor Ballroom, Glencoe on Thursday, Sept. 20 from 3 – 7 p.m.

Utility representatives will answer questions about the need for the new 345 kilovolt line and related facilities, advise attendees about how the public process works, and answer any questions area residents may have. The utilities also will use the meetings to begin collecting information for a route permit application that will be filed with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission in mid-2008.

The Brookings-Twin Cities line is one of three 345-kilovolt lines CapX 2020 utilities are proposing to meet future demand for electricity. Utility projections show that electricity use in Minnesota and the surrounding region will increase between 4,000 and 6,000 megawatts by 2020. The proposed lines also would significantly expand the ability to deliver renewable energy to electricity customers.

Randy Fordice of Great River Energy said that it has not yet been determined where the route will be constructed. Two main applications must be submitted. The first application, filed Aug. 16, asks the Public Utilities Commission to determine that the lines are needed. The second, a route permit application, will be submitted in mid 2008. At that time, two potential routes will be submitted. Both applications take about 18 months to complete.

Presently, the shaded corridor for construction in Sibley County is along Highway 19. Letters were sent to property owners in the shaded corridors, Fordice said.

Utilities involved in the CapX 2020 proposals will work with landowners, local government officials and interested parties to determine the best locations for the lines and use that information in developing the route permit applications. Significant public input is built into the regulatory process, including public meetings and hearings, on both need and routing decisions.

Along with Great River Energy, Elk River, and Xcel Energy, Minneapolis, utilities or groups that expect to participate in one or more of the CapX 2020 projects are: Central Minnesota Municipal Power Agency, Blue Earth; Dairy Power Cooperative, La Crosse, WI; Minnesota Power, Duluth; Minnkota Power Cooperative, Grand Forks, ND; Missouri River Energy Services, Sioux Falls, SD; Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency, Rochester, and Wisconsin Public Power Inc., Sun Prairie, WI.