Minnesota Transmission Project to Create 4,870 Jobs

The Upper Midwest is getting a massive infrastructure upgrade that will power thousands of jobs and billions in economic growth over the next decade.

Three regional utilities just released an economic study showing their PowerOn Midwest transmission project will support 4,870 jobs statewide during construction, with over $482 million in new payroll. Communities directly along the transmission corridor will see the biggest impact, with 2,553 jobs and $259 million in wages flowing to project counties.

The project centers on a new 765 kilovolt transmission line connecting eastern South Dakota and Minnesota. Think of it as building a bigger highway for electricity to meet growing demand as old power plants retire and new ones come online.

The numbers tell a compelling story. Minnesota will see over $2 billion in total economic activity during construction, with $914 million going directly to communities hosting the transmission lines. Property tax revenue alone will reach $1.2 billion over 35 years in those counties.

But the construction phase is just the beginning. The new transmission capacity will unlock more than 12,000 megawatts of new wind, solar, battery storage and natural gas generation across Minnesota. That additional energy infrastructure could generate another $5 billion in economic activity.

Great River Energy, ITC Midwest and Xcel Energy are developing the projects together. They've already submitted their Certificate of Need application to Minnesota regulators in February, with South Dakota filings expected this September.

The Ripple Effect

The timing couldn't be better for the region's economic future. As electricity demand accelerates nationwide, having robust transmission infrastructure helps communities attract new employers and investment. The utilities point out that reliable, affordable and increasingly carbon-free power is becoming a major competitive advantage for economic development.

The project will also help unlock existing energy generation that's currently stuck because transmission lines can't handle the capacity. That means investments already made in renewable energy can finally reach their full potential.

Economic models used standard federal data sources to project these impacts, giving communities and policymakers solid numbers to understand what's coming. The utilities emphasized this isn't just about meeting today's needs but building a grid ready for decades of growth.

Thousands of workers across Minnesota and South Dakota will soon have new opportunities to build the energy infrastructure their communities will rely on for generations.