SaskPower’s application to the Canada Energy Regulator to build and operate two international power lines has been approved.

Once complete the I-P-L will increase shared power line capacity, as part of the Southwest Power Pool project, from 150 megawatts to 650 MW.

The proposed lines will link the Tableland Switching Station, 15 kilometres southwest of Estevan, to the Saskatchewan-North Dakota border. SaskPower will construct two six-km lines in Canada, while Basin Electric will build the 180-km line in the United States.

In a news release SaskPower President and CEO Rupen Pandya said, “Increasing the interconnection between SaskPower and the SPP will enhance the resilience and flexibility of both our electricity grids, allowing for more efficient balancing of supply and demand across regions.”