Great River Energy
Great River Energy (GRE) is a not-for-profit electric cooperative serving approximately 700,000 members throughout rural Minnesota. Serving one-third of the state’s population, GRE is the second-largest electric power supplier in Minnesota and one of the largest generation and transmission cooperatives in the United States.
In the Summer of 2020, Commonwealth had the opportunity to propose GRE with a cost estimate for the relocation of two steel lattice transmission towers. The two 230 kV, steel-shielded, bundled 954 rail transmission towers needed relocating because of river erosion. The move would impact an estimated 1200 ft of line.
Commonwealth’s Solution:
The towers were first modeled in PLS-TOWER. Next, engineers ran the models through PLS-CADD to analyze the two proposed locations. Other considerations included reusing original structures and modifying adjacent structures. In the end, Commonwealth was able to provide a full construction cost estimate for both relocation options. Engineers also included a full risk analysis and an approximate estimate for enforcing the towers.
