BAGLEY — The Minnesota Department of Commerce finalized a grant contract with the Clearwater-Polk Electric Cooperative earlier this month for a project to improve grid reliability.
The finalization comes after June's hurricane-strength windstorm in northwestern Minnesota led to widespread damage to key infrastructure.
The commerce department stated Clearwater-Polk's project will improve capacity and reliability and reduce outage times. It is intended to bring lasting grid resiliency to a rural region spanning 1,500 square miles.
According to a form submitted to the U.S. Department of Energy, the planned project includes construction of 6 miles of underground power line. The line would connect two substations between Huntsville and Fisher, just east of Grand Forks.
The funding comes from the State Electric Grid Resilience Grants Program. The $5.3 million program awards up to a quarter-million in funds to entities with resiliency projects.
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Larissa Donovan/KAXEBemidji Area Reporter Larissa Donovan reflects on her work covering stories in northwestern Minnesota and beyond in her ninth year as a journalist. -
Bemidji Area Reporter Larissa Donovan looks back on her work reporting for northwestern Minnesota in 2025 during her ninth year as a journalist. -
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