Xcel Energy will soon begin building a key link in Minnesota’s energy future to deliver clean, reliable electricity to customers across the upper midwest after earning approval from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission this week.

Once complete in 2028, the roughly 175-mile Minnesota Energy Connection transmission line will carry electricity generated in southwest Minnesota to the existing electric grid at Xcel Energy’s Sherco site in Becker, Minnesota. The line will deliver enough energy to power more than 1 million homes across the upper midwest.

“The Minnesota Energy Connection transmission line delivers on our commitment to providing affordable and reliable energy to our customers,” according to Ryan Long, President, Xcel Energy-Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. “Through this project, we will invest in our communities, add industry-leading amounts of clean energy that our customers want, and maintain reliable service as we meet customers’ growing demand for electricity.”