MINNEAPOLIS (Nov. 5, 2026) — Dairyland Power Cooperative and Xcel Energy filed an application for a route permit with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission this week for the Gopher to Badger Link Project.
The project is a new 765 kilovolt backbone transmission line that will strengthen grid reliability, reduce system congestion, and help ensure homes, farms, schools, hospitals and businesses have the reliable electricity they need as demand for power continues to grow in the coming decades.
“Energy needs are growing throughout eastern Minnesota and the surrounding region, and the Gopher to Badger transmission line, along with other key investments we’re making, will ensure our customers can power their homes, businesses and farms with the reliable electricity they depend on,” said Bria Shea, president, Xcel Energy–Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. “Investing in a strong electric grid today means we can enable economic growth and support our thriving communities in Minnesota and throughout the Upper Midwest.”
Beginning in 2025, the Gopher to Badger Link project team began outreach to landowners, local government officials and community leaders, and state agencies to share information about the proposal and gather feedback on preliminary route options. The input helped shape the primary route identified from the North Rochester Substation near Pine Island to an area near Marion, Minn., where the transmission line will connect to an existing 161 kV corridor owned by Dairyland Power Cooperative. From there, the Gopher to Badger Link will follow that existing corridor as a double-circuit 765/161 kV transmission line, including where it crosses the Mississippi River into Wisconsin.
“The grid of the future starts with the investments we are making now,” said Ben Porath, executive vice president & chief operating officer, Dairyland Power Cooperative. “By using Dairyland’s existing transmission corridor, which has been in place for decades, we minimize impacts to landowners and the landscape while addressing regional reliability for current and future generations.”
In addition to enabling access to low-cost, diverse energy resources, which will keep energy costs low, the project will also deliver tax revenue for local communities to provide services to residents and create hundreds of good paying construction jobs.
The route permit application will be reviewed in conjunction with the Certificate of Need application, which was filed in February 2026. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission will schedule public meetings and hearings throughout the project area, with a decision expected in 12 to 18 months.
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About Xcel Energy
Xcel Energy (NASDAQ: XEL) is a leading energy provider, dedicated to serving millions of customers with excellence. We make energy work better for customers, helping them thrive every day. That means always raising the bar — delivering better service and providing more reliable, resilient and sustainable energy.
We are committed to leading the clean energy transition, meeting our customers’ need for more, cleaner power, while keeping bills as low as possible. Because the people we serve depend on us to power their lives.
Headquartered in Minneapolis, we work every day to generate and distribute electricity and gas to customers across eight states: Minnesota, Colorado, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, New Mexico and Texas. For more information, visit xcelenergy.com or follow us on X and Facebook.
About Dairyland Power Cooperative (La Crosse, Wis.): Founded in 1941, Dairyland provides wholesale electrical requirements and other services for 24 Class A member distribution cooperatives, 2 Class B members and 27 municipal utilities in the Upper Midwest. In turn, these cooperatives and municipals meet the energy needs of over 800,000 people. Dairyland delivers electricity over 3,700 miles of transmission lines and 400 distribution substations throughout the system’s 44,500 square mile service area. Visit www.DairylandPower.com.
