Within the next few weeks Basin Electric, Bismarck, North Dakota, will begin the process of siting a new electric transmission line. For the first time in the state’s history, a line will be built with the help of the North Dakota Transmission Authority. The Authority was created in 2005 to aid in the development of new transmission lines.

At a press conference on April 12 announcing the project, North Dakota Governor John Hoeven, chairman of the North Dakota Industrial Commission; Ron Harper, Basin Electric CEO and general manager; and Eric Hardmeyer, president of the Bank of North Dakota, signed documents for the Bank of North Dakota to finance a portion of this project.

According to Harper, Basin Electric is proposing to construct a 67-mile, 230-kV transmission line that will connect an existing substation near Belfield to a proposed new substation near Rhame.

“This project is a great example of what happens when people get together and use a little common sense and common vision to see a project through,” Harper said. “The North Dakota Transmission Authority was designed to be the facilitator, not the builder, of transmission additions. It is now filling that role well.”

Harper said transmission studies in southwestern North Dakota indicate the system has reached its load limit. “An increasing demand for electricity is the main reason for building this line,” Harper said. “People use electricity 24-hours a day, seven days a week. Their lifestyle and livelihood depend on a reliable flow of electricity. This line will greatly improve the reliability of the transmission system.”

The Bank of North Dakota will finance $25 million of the expected $33 million needed to complete the first phase of the project. The loan will be repaid over a 20-year time period.

Basin Electric is a consumer-owned, regional cooperative headquartered in Bismarck. It generates and transmits electricity to 120 member rural electric systems in nine states: Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. These member systems distribute electricity to about 2.5 million consumers.