SaskPower announced June 25 having started work on two major transmission line projects with a total investment of approximately $300 million. The projects include a 200-kilometre line that will run from east of Moose Jaw to Swift Current, and a 44-kilometre line that will run from northwest of Regina to Belle Plaine. The projects will replace the existing line and deliver power from the new 350-megawatt natural gas Chinook Power Station, which is on-track to come online in late 2019.
SaskPower’s Vice-President of Asset Management, Planning and Sustainability, Tim Eckel, said, “We know demand for power in Saskatchewan will continue to grow. These projects will help us accommodate that growth, increase reliability, and ensure the availability of baseload power as we bring more intermittent generation sources like wind and solar onto the grid.”
Work will be seen from Highway #1, particularly between Moose Jaw and Swift Current, and Highway #2 outside Moose Jaw. The bulk of construction is expected to be complete in late summer 2019. Some additional work will last until early 2020, but traffic impacts will be minimal.