(Montana – MFP) The North Plains Connector Line would be the region’s first major grid expansion since the construction of a 500-kilovolt line that carries power from the Colstrip coal-fired power plant to population centers in the Pacific Northwest in the mid-1980s.
If built, the North Plains Connector Line will be the first high-capacity transmission line to link the Western Interconnect grid with the Midcontinent Independent System Operator grid, which uses a more efficient direct current operation.
Advocacy organizations argue that Increasing transmission capacity can help Montana capitalize on wind power, entice electricity-intensive businesses to set up shop in Montana, and alleviate the rising power and property tax bills many Montanans are facing
