South Dakota is gearing up for one of its biggest grid upgrades ever—a wave of new high-voltage transmission lines designed to open the door for future growth across the state. (KTIV)
A 765-kV “backbone” line through Big Stone City would be the state’s highest-capacity power corridor, linking to Minnesota and creating room for new wind, solar, and gas generation.
The line is part of $30B in multistate grid expansion plans by MISO and SPP to relieve transmission bottlenecks and prepare for surging industrial demand, from data centers to biofuels.
Officials say the buildout could cut long-term energy costs and stabilize the grid, but federal funding cuts and expiring tax credits could push more of the cost onto utilities and, ultimately, ratepayers.