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Manitoba Hydro ready to start work on export transmission line

Manitoba Hydro is ready to start construction of a 500-kV transmission line to carry power for export to the U.S. after receiving a green light to start work from Canada's energy regulator.

The province-owned utility said it received its final, pre-construction approvals for the line Aug. 22 from the National Energy Board. The company said on its website that schedules are now being reviewed and that it will provide public updates within the next two weeks. The board issued its initial approval of the network, known as the Manitoba-Minnesota Transmission Project, with 28 conditions in November 2018.

The approval comes in the midst of a snap election called by Premier Brian Pallister, who was swept to power in 2016 on a promise to reform Manitoba Hydro, which has been bogged down with debt from expensive projects to generate electricity in the province's northern region and then develop the transmission infrastructure to bring it to market. Since those projects were conceived, U.S. power prices have tumbled and clean energy policies that were expected to boost sales have weakened. Mantiobans will vote Sept. 10, about the same time final construction plans will be unveiled for the Manitoba-Minnesota project.

Manitoba Hydro plans to build the 213-kilometer, or 132-mile, line to carry power from a point just outside of the capital city of Winnipeg south to the Manitoba-Minnesota border. From there the 500-kV line will connect with the Great Northern Transmission project being built by ALLETE Inc. subsidiary Minnesota Power Inc. The new line will boost Manitoba's export capacity by 885 MW to 3,185 MW and double the province's import capacity to 1,400 MW to increase reliability. Both the Canadian and U.S. segments are due to be in service by June 2020.