The Gopher to Badger Link transmission line project is being proposed to deliver reliable power to homes, farms and businesses across the region. This project will strengthen the electric grid and facilitate access to new energy sources. Dairyland Power Cooperative and Xcel Energy will develop separate segments of this new 765 kilovolt (kV) transmission line, which will run from eastern Minnesota to the Mississippi River.
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This map shows the area where landowners are likely to be affected. This area will be studied during the route development process. We will communicate with landowners and local officials in these areas as the process moves forward. MISO has divided responsibilities for the Gopher to Badger Link between Dairyland Power Cooperative and Xcel Energy.
North Rochester to Marion Segment
Xcel Energy is developing approximately 35 miles of a new single-circuit 765 kV transmission line that will run from the North Rochester Substation near Pine Island to Marion, Minn.
Marion to Mississippi River SegmentDairyland Power Cooperative is developing the MariBell segment of the project, which will extend from Marion to the Mississippi River. This segment consists of replacing an existing 161 kV transmission line with a new 765/161 kV double-circuit transmission line. Learn more about the MariBell Transmission Project.
This new, 765 kilovolt (kV) ‘back-bone’ transmission line represents the next step in our region’s energy story. Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) and energy companies plan decades ahead to make sure we can meet the future electricity needs of our customers, and the Gopher to Badger Link is part of a series of proposed new regional transmission projects across the Upper Midwest to support the energy system as it grows and evolves.
The Gopher to Badger Link was identified as part of MISO’s proposed Long Range Transmission Plan (LRTP), which includes several projects in Minnesota, Wisconsin and the surrounding region. The Gopher-Badger Link will connect to the region’s electric grid and will be coordinated with another project in Wisconsin.
The electric grid must evolve as our region transforms how it generates and uses electricity. As older power plants retire and new sources of electrical generation are developed, Gopher to Badger Link will help ensure reliable electricity for customers as these changes occur.
Our current system delivers 99% reliability as a direct result of the infrastructure built and operated over many decades. We are now developing the next phase of transmission investments that will maintain that high reliability into the future.
Upgrading our transmission system supports electric reliability, fosters economic growth, meets rising energy demand, and ensures customers have electricity wherever and whenever it’s needed, even during extreme weather.
MISO is the electric grid operator and regional transmission planner for the central United States. MISO is a non-profit organization that works to keep electricity reliable across 15 states and the Canadian province of Manitoba.
MISO conducted a 2-year, regional planning process, with extensive input from utilities and stakeholders, to identify a portfolio of 24 transmission projects to enhance the reliability of the electric grid, improve access to remote energy resources and deliver reliable power to homes, farms, and businesses throughout the Midwest region.
The map below is MISO’s final Tranche 2.1 map. The lines on this map do not represent proposed route options. Learn more about MISO.
The Gopher to Badger Link will deliver key benefits:
Helps ensure the transmission system can deliver electricity to customers where and when it’s needed, regardless of weather, demand or generation source.
Supports the projected growth in electricity use over the coming decades by providing more capacity to deliver energy to customers.
Improves access to energy sources throughout the region to create a stronger, more reliable power system for the future.
Creates opportunities for new jobs and business growth in the region.
We’re at the start of a multi-year regulatory process that includes evaluation of the project’s need and routing by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC). The MPUC ultimately determines whether the project is needed and, if so, the project’s final route for proposed transmission lines. The MPUC will thoroughly review all project information provided by the applicants and input from stakeholders, landowners and the general public before making its decisions. Two key approvals must be obtained from the MPUC before the project can be built: Certificate of Need and a Route Permit.
A Certificate of Need (CON) to determine whether the project is necessary and appropriately sized.
The regulatory review process begins when we submit our application to the MPUC, which they evaluate for completeness and invite public comment. Once deemed complete, the case is typically assigned to an independent Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) to oversee the review and develop a report and recommendations to the MPUC. The MPUC review of a CON generally takes 12 to 18 months.
Next, the MPUC begins the process of preparing an Environmental Report (ER) to evaluate potential human and environmental impacts of the overall project. Public meetings are held to explain the process and gather comments on issues and alternatives to include in the report. Written comments are also accepted.
After reviewing all input, the MPUC issues a scoping decision that outlines the topics and alternatives the ER will address.
The ER is then developed and made available for public review. The ER is part of the record the MPUC will review for the project.
The MPUC holds public hearings overseen by an ALJ. Notices are published in local newspapers and mailed to landowners and local government officials ahead of the hearings. Anyone can attend to share comments or express opinions on the applicants’ proposal. Written comments are also accepted. After the hearings, the ALJ prepares a report summarizing the record, including public input, and provides recommendations to the MPUC.
The MPUC makes the final decision on whether to issue a CON. In reaching its decision, the MPUC reviews all information in the record and deliberates at a formal commission meeting.
A Route Permit Application is filed. The Route Permit application identifies the proposed transmission line route and any conditions that should be included in the permit. The application includes information reviewed when identifying potential routes and a comprehensive analysis of why the applicants proposed the route, as well as other information, including cost, preliminary engineering, summaries of public comments and outreach, and other key information.
The Route Permit application identifies the proposed transmission line route. The application includes information reviewed when identifying potential routes and a comprehensive analysis of why an applicant proposes a specific route. A Route Permit application also includes other information, including analyses of the human and environmental resources along the route. After a utility files a Route Permit application and it is accepted as complete, the regulatory review process begins.
Once the Route Permit application is deemed complete, the MPUC will hold public information and scoping meetings throughout the project area to begin developing the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). These meetings, along with the public comment period, allow landowners and community members to ask questions of MPUC staff and the applicants, provide input on what should be studied in the EIS, suggest alternative routes for consideration by the MPUC and address potential impacts and mitigation measures that should be studied in the EIS.
The EIS evaluates potential effects on land use, including agricultural operations and residences, water resources, natural habitats and other environmental factors. Suggested alternative routes must be specific, with defined start and end points, and can range from minor adjustments to entirely different paths. Following this process, the MPUC publishes a decision outlining the topics and route alternatives that will be included in the EIS.
The Draft EIS will be published and made available for public review and comment.
After the Draft EIS is published, an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) will hold public hearings throughout the project area, with a public comment period, to receive comments on the routes under review, and how potential impacts of the project could be addressed. Advance notice of these public hearings will be provided via mail and newspaper advertisements. The ALJ then prepares a report summarizing the overall record and writes a report and recommendation to the MPUC, including recommendations about what route should be selected and conditions that should be included in the route permit.
The MPUC publishes the Final EIS.
After reviewing the report from the ALJ, all public comments and the complete environmental review and permitting record, the MPUC will consider the application at a scheduled MPUC meeting to make its final Route Permit decision. MPUC meetings and hearings are open to the public. At that time, the MPUC will decide on which route, or combination of routes, to approve for the transmission line and any conditions the permit should include. A Route Permit can only be issued after a CON is granted, and it is the approval that determines the transmission line route. Once approved, the utilities will pursue any additional required permits, such as those required by other state and federal agencies depending on the designated route.
*Wisconsin will follow a separate regulatory process. For the proposed timeline for that process, please visit the MariBell Transmission Project website.
Input and engagement opportunities will be available throughout these processes.
Identifying a new transmission line route is a multi-step analysis that considers constraints, opportunities and alternatives that aim to minimize impacts on people and the environment.
Input from landowners, community members, local leaders, Tribal representatives, state and federal agencies and the project team’s own expertise all play a vital role in developing and finalizing a proposed route. Community feedback is essential at every stage, so we encourage you to stay engaged throughout the process.
The first step in the process is to identify areas for potential transmission line route options. We will develop initial corridors based on system needs, review of publicly available data, and find opportunities to minimize impacts to residential properties, agricultural operations, and other environmental considerations. We will present initial corridors and route options to landowners, local officials and key stakeholders to ask for feedback.
Share your feedback
Public input will assist the project team as we further refine and narrow the preliminary route options to develop the proposed route for the route permit application.
We encourage landowners and local officials to attend public open houses, review route options and provide comments about how each of the initial proposals would affect land use in the area. We will evaluate all comments as route options are refined during the development process.
Finally, the project team will use the information and public input gathered to develop a proposed route that we anticipate submitting to the MPUC later in 2026.
The MPUC will issue a final determination on the route at the conclusion of the route permit application review process. View the MN Regulatory Process page for more details.
Input and engagement opportunities will be available throughout these processes.
During the routing process, our team will identify opportunities where routes and route alternatives could be located while evaluating sensitivities or areas that would make routing difficult.
Opportunities are considered linear features that are oriented in the direction of the project:
Sensitivities are area resources or conditions that may require additional review and consideration:
765 kV technology was identified in the MISO planning process as the preferred solution for the region, presenting several advantages:
MISO’s analysis showed that one 765 kV transmission line can carry as much power as six 345 kV single circuit lines—minimizing the land needed by as much as 70-80%.
This is an example of a typical single-circuit 765 kV structure, similar to what could be used on the North Rochester to Marion segment.
This is an example of a double-circuit 765/161 kV steel lattice structure, similar to what could be used on the MariBell segment.
Our typical transmission line construction process includes the following steps:
Soil surveys and property staking
Construction access and vegetation clearing
Mobilizing equipment and delivering material
Foundation construction
Installing structures and stringing conductor
Land restoration
We currently expect construction to start in 2031 with the project in-service in 2034.
Connect with our team to submit a comment or ask a question by email, phone, or the form on this page.
To connect with our media team, please email connect@GophertoBadgerLink.com. To reach a specific partner on our team, please use the contact information below.
Katie Thomson
Call: 608-787-1323
katie.thomson@dairylandpower.com
Eric Jacobson
Call: 608-461-2125
eric.jacobson@dairylandpower.com
Media Relations
Call: 612-215-5300
mediainquiries@xcelenergy.com
Additional media resources and information will be provided as the project progresses.
