• Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. and Otter Tail Power Company have selected a preferred route for the proposed Big Stone South to Ellendale (BSSE) 345 kV transmission line project. The line will be 160 miles to 170 miles long and routed between a new substation to be located near Ellendale in Dickey County, North Dakota, and Big Stone South substation, located near Big Stone City in Grant County, South Dakota.
• In December 2011 the Mid-Continent Independent System Operator, Inc. (MISO), an independently governed organization tasked with ensuring transmission network reliability and efficiency, identified the BSSE transmission line as an important multi-value project (MVP). A transmission line is designated as an MVP if it can provide regional reliability, economic value and support for renewable energy public policy objectives.
• The project is anticipated to cost approximately $300 million - $340 million and be in service in 2019.
• Go to http://bssetransmissionline.com/maps/ for an interactive map.