A group of regional energy companies (including Xcel Energy and Otter Tail Power) has proposed a massive, multi-billion-dollar energy infrastructure initiative across eastern South Dakota and southern Minnesota. The project—part of a broader regional effort known as PowerOn Midwest—involves building hundreds of miles of high-voltage transmission lines and upgrading substations. Construction on the South Dakota segments alone is estimated to cost up to $2 billion, with full completion targeted for 2034. Public meetings and regulatory reviews in South Dakota and Minnesota are scheduled to allow local communities and property owners to provide input.
The project’s path takes it from near Milbank, South Dakota, down to Brookings and across southwestern Minnesota, including Murray County. The South Dakota route will be about 90 miles from the Big Stone South Substation in Grant County to the Brookings substation near White. The Minnesota portion is about 160 miles. The county formed a Brookings County 765kV Transmission Line Advisory Committee. The committee will recommend to county planning and zoning a 2,000-foot setback for the project. The line structures will be 1,200 to 1,400 feet apart, and the structures will be 170 feet tall. The easement area is 250 feet, or 125 feet to either side of the structure.
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