NW Minnesota News

Minnesota Power's Great Northern Transmission Line is now functioning, providing renewable energy to two states and a Canadian province.

The 500 kV line delivers 250 megawatts of carbon-free hydropower from Manitoba, Canada to Minnesota Power customers.

The 224-mile line consists of 800 tower structures and 2,200 miles of wire and runs from the Canadian border to a substation near Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

“The GNTL will help Minnesota Power to provide our customers with 50% renewable energy less than a year from now," ALLETE President and CEO Bethany Owen told the Grand Rapids Herald Review. "As part of our EnergyForward strategy, it also strengthens the grid across the Midwest and in Canada, enhancing reliability for all of our customers.”

The GNTL is online and connected to the Manitoba-Minnesota Transmission Project, offering a unique wind storage mechanism that allows for greater use of renewable energy in the North American energy grid.

Minnesota's EnergyForward strategy aims to reduce coal reliability and transition to renewable power sources while maintaining affordable service for customers.

“The seed for this renewable energy initiative was planted in 2008 when Minnesota Power proposed purchasing 250 megawatts of hydropower from Manitoba Hydro," ALLETE Executive Chairman Al Hodnik told the Herald Review. "Beyond the transmission line, it also included a creative asset swap to move wind power from North Dakota to Minnesota, innovative power purchase agreements, and a remarkable advocacy process to find an acceptable route for the GNTL. It marries wind and water in a unique connection that will help transform the energy landscape of North America and reduce carbon emissions related to the existential threat of climate change.”