Mon Apr 14 12:00:00 UTC 2025: ## Xcel Energy’s Minnesota Energy Connection Project Set for 2026 Construction
**ST. CLOUD, MN –** Xcel Energy announced that construction on its highly anticipated Minnesota Energy Connection transmission line is slated to begin in spring 2026. The 175-mile line will deliver 4,000 megawatts of renewable energy – enough to power one million homes – from southwest Minnesota to a hub at the Sherco facility in Sherburne County.
The project aims to offset the closure of coal-fired generators in Becker by utilizing primarily wind power, with supplemental solar energy, from southwest Minnesota. Xcel recently received approval for a new natural gas plant in Lyon County to provide consistent base power.
Senior Vice President of Transmission Sandra Long stated that the improved grid infrastructure will benefit Xcel customers directly, allowing them “to further tap into our local energy resources to power their homes and expand their businesses.”
Xcel engineers are currently finalizing the line’s design and are in the final stages of negotiating land easements with property owners. The project is expected to be completed in 2028.
First Piper 