First phase of power grid upgrade goes online
Like this?
Log in to share your opinion with MPR News and add it to your profile.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
![CapX2020 power line](https://img.apmcdn.org/1cc383770bd959feb9541b9a99c49121df31bf46/uncropped/bb542a-20111221-capx2020.jpg)
Electricity began running through power lines along Interstate 94 from Monticello to St. Cloud Wednesday as part of a massive power grid update that spans four states.
The new power lines are part of the CapX2020 project and provides great reliability for the St. Cloud region, said Tim Carlsgaard, a spokesperson for the project. CapX2020 is the first major update to the region's transmission grid since the 1970s.
"If there was some type of major tornado or weather event, or some other kind of catastrophe, there is another feed into that St. Cloud area," Carlsgaard said.
When complete, in 2015, the CapX2020 project will run a total of 700 miles, branching out towards the Dakotas and through parts of Southeastern Minnesota and on into Wisconsin.
The project has encountered resistance from some property owners who say they don't want the power line running on or near their property, in some cases resulting in lawsuits.
Support the News you Need
Gifts from individuals keep MPR News accessible to all - free of paywalls and barriers.