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Regulators OK permits for Minnesota Power, Great River Energy transmission line

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Regulators OK permits for Minnesota Power, Great River Energy transmission line


DULUTH — State regulators approved two key permits for a planned transmission line linking the Iron Range and central Minnesota.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, a five-member board overseeing the state’s regulated utilities, granted a route permit and certificate of need Thursday to the Northern Reliability Project, a planned 180-mile, 345-kilovolt transmission line to be built jointly by Minnesota Power and Great River Energy.

The double-circuit line will stretch from Minnesota Power’s Iron Range Substation in Itasca County to Great River Energy’s substations in Benton and Sherburne counties.

Construction is expected to begin in late 2025 in Benton and Sherburne counties, and work on the remainder of the project will begin in 2027. It could be operational by 2030.

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Gary Meader / Duluth Media Group

The project will largely follow existing transmission line corridors.

Minnesota Power and Great River Energy said in a news release Thursday that costs are expected to exceed $1 billion. The Public Utilities Commission will separately review and consider how Minnesota Power’s share of the project is recovered.

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The

project was one of 18 projects

totaling $10.3 billion approved by the region’s grid operator, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, or MISO, in July 2022.

The Northern Reliability Project and other major grid upgrades are key in transitioning from coal-fired power plants to renewables like wind and solar. Duluth-based Minnesota Power has provided 50% renewable energy since 2021 and expects to have 80% carbon-free sources by 2030, while Great River Energy, which provides electricity to cooperatives across Minnesota, anticipates it will provide 90% carbon-free power by 2035.

The transition to renewables and an expected increase in energy demand will require a more interconnected grid.

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In October,

the U.S. Department of Energy said in a study that

the transmission system would need to at least double in size by 2050 but would need to increase by 3.5 times the size of the 2020 system if the U.S. electricity system were to reach a 100% greenhouse gas emission reduction by mid-century.

The study said the buildout of more transmission can also help the grid during increasingly extreme weather events.

“This joint project with Great River Energy will support local reliability and enhance the regional grid as the way we generate, transmit and use electricity evolves. It also will enhance the grid’s flexibility and resiliency,” Dan Gunderson, Minnesota Power’s vice president of transmission and distribution, said in the news release.

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Great River, which provides power to power cooperatives throughout Minnesota, agreed.

“This project will serve Minnesotans for decades, helping ensure a reliable, resilient electric grid for our region as our energy transition continues,” Priti Patel, Great River’s vice president and chief transmission officer, said in the news release.

Jimmy Lovrien

Jimmy Lovrien covers environment-related issues, including mining, energy and climate, for the Duluth News Tribune. He can be reached at jlovrien@duluthnews.com or 218-723-5332.

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Hughes scores in debut for Wild, who defeat Bruins for 4th straight win | NHL.com

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Hughes scores in debut for Wild, who defeat Bruins for 4th straight win | NHL.com


The 26-year-old defenseman finished with three shots in 26:55 of ice time in his first game since being traded to Minnesota by the Vancouver Canucks on Friday for defenseman Zeev Buium, forwards Marco Rossi and Liam Ohgren, and a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

“It’s been a whirlwind for sure,” Hughes said. “I’m just looking forward to kind of getting my feet on the ground and get with the team here and get in a day-to-day lifestyle here. But definitely the last 48 hours have been a lot, but I was excited to go play the game.”

Kirill Kaprizov had two goals and an assist, Hartman had a goal and two assists, and Matt Boldy had a goal and an assist for the Wild (19-9-5), who extended their winning streak to four games and home point streak to 12 games (10-0-2). Filip Gustavsson made 29 saves.

“The crowd was electric I think just from the … I would say warmups to the introduction and then throughout the game,” Minnesota coach John Hynes said. “So, it was great to see the building like that and the guys perform the way that they did. So, it was a great combo.”

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Alex Steeves and Andrew Peeke scored, and Swayman made 25 saves for the Bruins (19-14-0), who had won four straight.

“They’re a very good hockey team,” Boston coach Marco Sturm said. “They’re built pretty big, they play the right way, they play pretty hard, and they go to the net really hard, too. So, that’s something I mentioned, even between periods. That’s something we have to learn. And even if teams like that, we have to learn from that, and that shows we’re not there yet, and that’s a good thing, I think.

“Do we like the end results? No, but we had our chances in the first, even in the second period, and those are the chances that you have to use, otherwise it’s going to get hard against a team like that.”

Jared Spurgeon put Minnesota ahead 1-0 at 10:11 of the first period with a wrist shot through traffic as Swayman was screened by Marcus Johansson on a power play.

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Perennial candidate Kendall Qualls wins Minnesota GOP gubernatorial straw poll

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Perennial candidate Kendall Qualls wins Minnesota GOP gubernatorial straw poll


Kendall Qualls, Army veteran, former health care executive and anti-anti-racist activist, won the Minnesota Republican gubernatorial straw poll on Saturday, beating House Speaker Lisa Demuth, MyPillow guy Mike Lindell and a long list of other names. The poll of the party’s State Central Committee offers the first look at how the candidates in the 2026 […]



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Minnesota weather: How cold it got on Saturday

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Minnesota weather: How cold it got on Saturday


Temperatures dropped into the negative Saturday, with the coldest temperatures in the morning. 

How cold it got in Minnesota Saturday

By the numbers:

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Here is how cold the temperatures got in Minnesota: 

  • Hinckley: -20 degrees
  • Bemidji: -20 degrees
  • Ely: -18 degrees
  • Brainerd: -18 degrees
  • Detroit Lakes: -18 degrees
  • Hibbing: -17 degrees
  • International Falls: -17 degrees
  • Duluth: -16 degrees
  • Alexandria: -12 degrees
  • St. Cloud: -12 degrees
  • Cambridge: -11 degrees
  • Grand Marais: -10 degrees
  • Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport: -6 degrees
  • Red Wing: -6 degrees
  • Morris: -6 degrees
  • Hutchinson: -5 degrees
  • Rochester: -5 degrees
  • Mankato: -3 degrees
  • Windom: 0 degrees
  • Marshall: 0 degrees

Here are the lowest wind chills across Minnesota from Saturday: 

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  • Bemidji: -37 degrees
  • Ely: -35 degrees
  • Duluth: -34 degrees
  • Brainerd: -32 degrees
  • Detroit Lakes: -32 degrees
  • Hibbing: -31 degrees
  • Alexandria: -29 degrees
  • Hinckley: -27 degrees
  • Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport: -24 degrees
  • St. Cloud: -24 degrees
  • Willmar: -22 degrees
  • Cambridge-21 degrees
  • Grand Marais: -21 degrees
  • Hutchinson: -21 deegres
  • Morris: -20 degrees
  • Faribault: -18 degrees
  • Mankato: -18 degrees
  • Marshall: -17 degrees
  • Red Wing: -16 degrees
  • Owatonna: -16 degrees
  • Windom-12 degrees

Cold continues Sunday 

What’s next:

The Twin Cities are under a cold weather advisory that is expected to last through Sunday morning, so residents should prepare for frigid conditions if they have plans to be outdoors.

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Sunday will be slightly less frigid with temperatures climbing above zero. However, it will still feel like 10 below zero in the afternoon.

Milder and warmer temperatures are expected to return for the work week.

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