The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission has approved a Facility Permit for the South Dakota portion of the Big Stone South to Alexandria (BSSA) 345 kV transmission line.
Otter Tail Power Company and Western Minnesota Municipal Power Agency, represented through its agent Missouri River Energy Services (MRES), will co-own the approximately 100-mile transmission line.
Big Stone South to Alexandria is designed to ensure continued electric reliability, enhance resilience to extreme weather events, reduce transmission congestion, and increase access to low-cost energy. It will connect an existing substation near Big Stone City, South Dakota, with Western Minnesota’s existing substation near Alexandria, Minnesota.
Otter Tail and MRES filed a Route Permit application with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) on October 22, 2024, for the Minnesota portion of the project. A decision from the MPUC is expected in mid-2026 and the companies are targeting an in-service date by the end of 2030.
