S.D. officials approve power line

S.D. officials approve power line

November 07, 2007: 12:14 PM EST

Nov. 7, 2007 (Thomson Financial delivered by Newstex) --

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission has cleared the way for construction of the initial 9.6 miles of an electric transmission line that will carry power from the eastern part of the state into Minnesota.

Jim Wilson, an Xcel Energy (NYSE:XEL) official, said the utility company needs the line -- which will run 86 miles, from west of Brandon to Lakefield, Minn. -- so it can comply with Minnesota regulations requiring it to provide about 5,000 megawatts of wind power by 2020.

The new transmission line to be installed along Interstate 90 will boost Xcel's capacity to deliver wind power from the present 425 megawatts to 825 megawatts, he said.

It is one of several new lines that are needed to handle the increasing output of wind farms in western Minnesota and eastern South Dakota, Wilson said.

'Wind projects can go up faster than we can get approval for transmission lines,' he said.

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