BISMARCK – Basin Electric Power Cooperative has announced the energization of a new transmission line in western North Dakota on Dec. 17.

The Roundup-to-Kummer Ridge transmission line includes 33 miles of new 345-kilovolt (kV) transmission line connecting the existing Roundup substation near Killdeer and the existing Kummer Ridge substation near Johnson’s Corner in McKenzie County, according to a Basin Electric news release.

The project was driven by increased load in the region and aims to enhance reliability and reduce the risk of load loss due to a transmission line failure, said Philip Westby, manager of Transmission Services at Basin Electric. The new line uses an aluminum-encapsulated carbon core conductor, which is lighter and more efficient. The project also addresses congestion and cost levelization in the power grid, benefiting local businesses and residents.

“We appreciate Basin Electric’s commitment to the reliability of our region to include this much-needed Roundup-to-Kummer Ridge transmission line,” said Jeremy Mahowald, general manager of Upper Missouri Power Cooperative, in the release. “The strength this line adds to McKenzie County and the surrounding region will increase existing member reliability and voltage strength and will help accommodate future load growth.”

“The completion of the Roundup-to-Kummer Ridge transmission line bolsters the reliability to a significant amount of McKenzie Electric’s membership by closing the path on what was previously a radial line,” said McKenzie Electric Cooperative CEO Matt Hanson. “It also provides an additional feed into the McKenzie Electric service area, providing contingency benefits to both McKenzie Electric and other surrounding utilities.”

The transmission project, which started construction in April 2024, was energized five months ahead of its initial target date. Even though the line has been energized, reclamation work around the project is scheduled to continue into 2025.

“The Roundup-to-Kummer Ridge transmission line has been a challenging and rewarding project,” said Bobby Nasset, supervisor of civil engineering at Basin Electric. “The terrain presented unique complexity for design, construction and access. The efforts and collaborations between the Right-of-Way, Permitting, and Engineering teams at Basin Electric and the construction contractor, Forbes/Timberline, were critical to the project’s success.”

“We want to thank our member-owners, the local landowners and Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation leadership for their assistance during design, routing and construction,” added Gavin McCollam, senior vice president and COO of Basin Electric. “We appreciate McKenzie and Dunn counties and North Dakota Public Service Commission for recognizing the importance of this project and providing necessary approvals. We also want to show our appreciation to McKenzie Electric and area pipeline operators for their assistance and coordination in developing an alignment to avoid and mitigate conflicts with existing utilities. Together, we have developed a solution for a safe and reliable transmission line that provides critical power delivery needs.”