Studies and Reports > 2009 MN Biennial Report > TC Planning Zone > Needs: 6.5.16 Parkwood-Coon Creek Area

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6.5.16 Parkwood-Coon Creek Area

Tracking Number: 2009-TC-N3

Utility: Great River Energy and Xcel Energy

Inadequacy. This area is served by the 115 kV loop connecting the Coon Creek, Parkwood, and Crooked Lake substations. System loading is becoming such that the loss of the Crooked Lake-Champlin Tap 115 kV line causes the Coon Creek-Parkwood 115 kV line to overload. As reported elsewhere in this Report, at Tracking Number 2005-TC-N3, Xcel Energy just in 2008 rebuilt the 115 kV line from Crooked Lake substation to the Champlin Tap.

A map of the area is shown following the discussion.

Alternatives. Several alternatives are being examined to correct the area deficiencies:

Alternative 1: Rebuild the Parkwood-Woodcrest-Coon Creek 69 kV line to a double circuit 115-69 kV circuit.

Alternative 2: Rebuild the Parkwood-Woodcrest-Coon Creek 69 kV line to 115 kV operation and add a new Coon Creek 115/69 kV source.

Alternative 3: Rebuild the Parkwood-Hennepin 69 kV line to 115 kV operation and construct a new breaker station near the existing Champlin 115 kV tap switches.

Alternative 4: Distributed generation.

Analysis. Alternatives are currently under review. Alternative 1 is attractive from the standpoint that it is the shortest line route and utilizes mostly separate right-of-way from the existing Coon Creek-Parkwood 115 kV circuit. The existing 69 kV circuit is also of 1960’s vintage and growing load is causing loading concerns on this circuit. Thus, it could be rebuilt to a higher capacity with this option.

Alternative 2 is also attractive as this would provide an additional source into the 69 kV system (currently the Blaine and Parkwood Substations provide the support for this area) and provide risk mitigation for a Parkwood Substation failure.

Alternative 3 is beneficial as this route would utilize an entirely separate corridor from the existing Coon Creek-Parkwood 115 kV circuit. The breaker station provided with Alternative 3 would also provide better service to the Crooked Lake Substation as faults occurring on the West Coon Rapids-Champlin-Elm Creek 115 kV line would not interrupt looped service to the Crooked Lake Substation.

Distributed generation is not desirable in this area as this system serves both the Highway 10 and Highway 65 corridors where load growth has been high in recent years and significant development potential still exists. Any generation added to this system would need to be sized to meet the future load growth or continually added as the system load grows.

Schedule. GRE and Xcel Energy are still evaluating options for this area. Estimates at this time indicate that a solution is necessary in the 2012-2013 timeframe. None of the alternatives requires a transmission line of more than 10 miles in length so a Certificate of Need from the Commission will not be required.

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