The Newsleaders
  • Login
  • Register
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Sartell – St. Stephen
    • St. Joseph
    • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Column
    • Editorial
    • Letter to the Editor
  • Community
    • Calendar
    • Citizen Spotlight
    • Criers
    • People
  • Notices
    • Funerals/Visitations
    • Obituary
    • Police Blotter
    • Public Notices
    • Support Groups
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Submissions
  • Archives
    • Sartell-St. Stephen Archive
    • St. Joseph Archive
  • Advertise With Us
    • Print Advertising
    • Digital Advertising
    • 2021 Promotions
    • Pay My Invoice
The Newsleaders
No Result
View All Result

PineCone Pet Hospital MillerCarlin Serving all of central Minnesota locations!

Albany: 320-845-2035
Holdingford: 320-746-9994
St. Cloud: 320-252-7004
Upsala: 320-573-6234
Toll-free: 1-800-644-4058
Collegeville Stearns Bank
Home News

It’s not an invasion; it’s the power project underway

October 3, 2013
in News, St. Joseph
0
0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

by Dennis Dalman

news@thenewsleaders.com

Some St. Joseph residents may soon notice helicopters hovering near tall towers south of the city and explosive-sounding booms coming from high in the air.

Not to worry; it’s not an alien invasion. It’s the latest phase of the Excel Energy CAPX2020 power-transmission system that, when completed, will run from Fargo through the St. Joseph area and to the Quarry power substation west of the city – a distance of 210 miles. The route generally follows the I-94 freeway. There is also a route from Monticello to St. Cloud.

Construction of the towers and lines has begun between the stretch between Melrose and St. Cloud and should be completed this fall. Nearly one-third of the line is completed, and work is either finished or nearly finished from Fargo to Alexandria, according to an update from CapX2020 released this month.

The line will run west to east a few miles south of the City of St. Joseph. Work on the line began in 2012 and is expected to be completed in 2015. It originates in the Bison substation just west of Fargo.

CapX2020 is a joint project of 11 transmission-owning utilities that will expand the transmission grid to meet an ever-increasing demand for energy in Minnesota and the surrounding region. There are five major transmission-line routes being constructed throughout the state, including the one from Fargo to St. Cloud. The utilities involved are investor-owned electric cooperatives and municipals.

The power lines will be strung on top of steel towers that will vary in height from 75 feet to 150 feet. They will be placed anywhere from 700 feet to 1,000 feet apart. Helicopters are often used in the stringing of wires to the towers. In addition, implosive connectors are used to splice conductor joints and to connect conductors securely to the towers. That process creates a brief detonation accompanied by a bright flash and a loud “boom.”

CapX2020 officials have assured landowners and customers the lines are safe, and in case of some emergency the electricity can be quickly shut down in problem areas.

Acquiring easements from landowners for the transmission lines’ corridors was a lengthy, difficult process with some landowners reluctant to grant easements for safety concerns and other reasons.

The project is the first major grid upgrade in the state in 30 years.

CapX2020 officials say 25 percent of the electricity on the lines will originate from renewable energy sources, most from wind turbines.

The cost of the current phase of CapX2020 projects total about $1.7 billion, plus $200 million more for upsizing to double-circuit structures. Transmission costs of energy can comprise anywhere from 7 to 10 percent of a customer’s electric bill. According to CapX2020 officials, that would translate into about $2 more per month during the peak of line construction this year and next year.

The sheer size and extent of the Fargo to St. Cloud and St. Cloud to Monticello projects can be realized through the following statistics:

1,400 tower structures will be erected.

9 million feet of wire will be strung.

170,000 cubic yards of concrete will be poured. That is enough to build a 4-foot-wide sidewalk from Minneapolis to Toledo, Ohio.

Previous Post

Oct. 4

Next Post

Health insurance raises cost of medicine

Next Post

Health insurance raises cost of medicine

Please login to join discussion

CMCU Twitter Follow us on
Twitter
for the latest news!
Facebook Follow us on Facebook
for the latest news!
calendar Click here
to view our
calendar
of events!

Go Fund Me # 1 Thank You
Newsleader
Supporters!
Elizabeth Brunsvold
Cultural Connections
Jim Berg & Mary Kruger
Mary & John Davis
Sandy Denne
Bobbi & David Gouker
James & marry Graeve
Juliana Howard
Julia Joplin
Linda Kmitch
M. Molus
Sheila Nahan
Go Fund Me # 2 Thank You
Newsleader
Supporters!

Peggy & Michael Roske
Judy Scheuerell
Geraldine Schwab
James Stotko
James Towler
Anna Trobec
Kaye Wenker
Ellen Wahlstrom
Leona Wieland
Jeanie Wilkens
GAGEN & VASUGI RAMANATHAN
Go Fund Me # 3 Thank You
Newsleader
Supporters!
Nicole Borg
Erica Karger-Gatzow
Dane & Lori Listug-Lunde
Nadine Martin
Doris Minnerath
Merry Mund
Marilyn Peitso
Stephen Schwanke
Dianne Tuff
Dale Zacher
Private Donors

Search

No Result
View All Result

Categories

Recent Posts

  • Vaccine appointments open for 65+; Online scheduling available
  • Sartell school board picks three finalists to lead district
  • Funeral for Marilyn ‘Lynn’ P. Borgert, 86 & Eugene ‘Gene’ J. Borgert, 89
  • 6 candidates selected for Sartell-St. Stephen superintendent
  • Kluesner appointed to St. Joseph City Council

City Links

Sartell
St. Joseph
St. Stephen

School District Links

Sartell-St. Stephen school district
St. Cloud school district

Chamber Links

Sartell Chamber
St. Joseph Chamber

Community

Calendar

Citizen Spotlight

Criers

People

Notices

Funerals/Visitions

Obituary

Police Blotter

Public Notices

Support Groups

About Us

Contact Us

News Tips

Submissions

Advertise With Us

Print Advertising

Digital Advertising

2021 Promotions

Local Advertising Rates

National Advertising Rates

© 2021 Newleaders

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Sartell – St. Stephen
    • St. Joseph
    • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Column
    • Editorial
    • Letter to the Editor
  • Community
    • Calendar
    • Citizen Spotlight
    • Criers
    • People
  • Notices
    • Funerals/Visitations
    • Obituary
    • Police Blotter
    • Public Notices
    • Support Groups
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Submissions
  • Archives
    • Sartell-St. Stephen Archive
    • St. Joseph Archive
  • Advertise With Us
    • Print Advertising
    • Digital Advertising
    • 2021 Promotions
    • Pay My Invoice

© 2021 Newleaders

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In