Study reveals need for expanded transmission

Basin Electric's study of the transmission needs for northwest North Dakota reveals the need for a new 345-kilovolt line.

Basin Electric Power Cooperative - September 16, 2011


	The Williston-to-Tioga 230-kilovolt transmission line was placed into service in 2011.

The area around Williston, ND, is the epicenter for the Bakken Formation’s oil development. Basin Electric’s member cooperatives are working hard to provide for the region’s ever-growing electrical needs. Basin Electric’s Transmission Department is conducting a study to determine what transmission additions will be required to provide additional power to these member cooperatives.

Matthew Stoltz, Basin Electric manager of transmission services, updated the board on the study’s findings. He said the cooperative has placed into service a number of additions over the past two years, including the Belfield-to-Rhame 230-kilovolt (kV) line in 2010, the Culbertson Generation Station in 2010, and the Williston-to-Tioga 230-kV line in 2011.

However, the study has identified a need for further additions. “Right now we have about 800 megawatts of load in the area. By 2021, we’re anticipating 1,600 megawatts. That outpaces our ability to serve that load from a transmission perspective,” he said.

Stoltz said the cooperative’s long-term plan to meet that increment of growth is to construct a 345-kV line from the Antelope Valley Station, to Williston, to Tioga and have it in service by 2016. “That’ll give us a large increase in our load-serving capacity,” he said.

In the interim, the cooperative has several other projects planned, all to be in service in 2012, to meet the load growth requirements, including:

A new Minot Southwest 115/42-kV substation on the 115-kV Logan-to-Kenmare transmission line immediately southwest of Minot, ND.
An expansion of the existing Berthold Tap on the Logan-to-Kenmare 115-kV line near Berthold, ND.
A new Kenaston Tap Station with two 115-kV capacitor banks added on the Logan-to-Kenmare line near Kenaston, ND.
Two 115-kV capacitor banks on the Logan-to-Tioga 230-kV line near Blaisdell, ND.
Replacement of the existing 250 MVA (megavolt-ampere) 345/230-kV transformer at the Leland Olds Station switchyard with a larger 600 MVA unit.

Additionally, directors approved in September capacitor bank additions at the Logan and Dickinson substations to provide voltage support. These projects will be in service by 2012.

“We’ll be pushing all of these projects hard to get them in service as soon as possible. Ultimately the goal is to get the 345-kV line in service by 2016,” Stoltz said.

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