Lebanon Hills Transmission Line Rebuild Project

Dakota County Parks

Physical Development Committee

Lebanon Hills Regional Park

Dan Lesher

November 7th, 2017

Project Overview Great River Energy is proposing the following improvements to a portion of the existing 69-kilovolt (kV) transmission system in Eagan, Minnesota:

• Rebuild approximately 0.85 mile of the existing Great River Energy “DA-LE” 69-kV transmission line to double circuit 115-kV with Dakota Electric Association (DEA) distribution underbuild (following the same centerline), within the boundaries of the Dakota County – Lebanon Hills Regional Park.

• New poles will be primarily wood poles (round wood and laminate), with pole spacing similar to the spacing of the existing DA-LE line (approximately 16 poles). A steel pole may be used to transition north across Cliff Road.

• Construction of the project is estimated to be late 2019 – early 2020.

Project Map

Project Aerial

Pole Pictures

Round wood pole Wood laminate pole Steel pole

Project Need Growth in electrical demand (load) is expected to cause reliability issues with the existing 69-kV Lebanon Hills Substation and associated lines in the near-term.

• Conversion of the Lebanon Hills Substation to 115-kV service will result in better service reliability and efficiency improvement in the transmission system serving the area, and is most efficient and least cost plan to reliably serve the area for the long-term.

• The existing transmission line serving the Lebanon Hills Substation is old, inefficient and has had reliability problems. A 115-kV system provides improved technology, improved construction design, and more efficient conductor.

• The Project will allow Great River Energy to reconfigure the Pilot Knob Substation and simplify the 69-kV transmission system in the area.

• This 115-kV project, along with a small project in Burnsville, will allow Great River Energy to retire approximately 8.5 miles of 69-kV transmission lines in the local area, and will result in fewer transmission miles and more reliable electric service for the area.

County Parks Request The existing Great River Energy DA-LE transmission line is permitted to be on the park property by a Dakota County Park and Recreation permit issued in 1987. With the new infrastructure investment that Great River Energy is proposing in the area, we are requesting to secure an easement that would allow us to have clearly defined rights for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the transmission line. The easement would:

• Be approximately 0.85 mile in length bordering the south side of Cliff Road.

• Allow for a 35’ wide easement either side of pole centerline up to the future County road right-of-way (60’ from road centerline).

• Allow for a single pole transmission line (with appurtenances), with the right of ingress and egress.

• Allow for vegetation management to control tall growing trees near the transmission line.

Proposed Easement

Benefits to Dakota County Parks In lieu of an easement payment, Great River Energy in partnership with Xcel Energy will commit to provide to the Dakota County Parks Department:

• A native prairie specialist to establish native, pollinator friendly habitat

within the 115-kV transmission line easement area.

• Removal of the existing Xcel Energy 0703 69-kV transmission line from Cliff Road south to 120th Street West. The removal will consist of all the components above ground level and the release of the associated easements.

• Easement net gain: • Xcel Energy 0703 easement area (estimated) – 5.8 acres • New Great River Energy easement area (estimated) – 3.7

acres • Difference of -2.1 acres

Xcel Energy 0703 Line

Project Timing • Public Open House (City of Eagan) – November 28, 2017

• City of Eagan Conditional Use Permit Meetings – January & February 2018

• New transmission line construction – Winter 2019/2020

• Removal of Xcel Energy transmission line within Lebanon Hills Park – Winter 2020

• Restoration of new easement to native plant community - 2020