Editor's note: Grant County is home to Otter Tail's Big Stone Power Plant—a monster that consumes 300 tons of coal per hour at full load amounting to 2.5 million tons of filthy sub-bituminous coal every year shipped via train from the Powder River Basin in Wyoming then spews heavy metal oxides and carbon dioxide over Minnesota.
Noble Karels writes from Milbank.
I’m reaching out as a Grant County resident to bring attention to the proposed PowerOn Midwest transmission project and the serious concerns it is raising among residents, landowners, farmers, and rural communities throughout eastern South Dakota.
I believe this deserves independent media attention — not simply as a dispute over a transmission line, but as a broader story about public participation, local government accountability, agricultural safety, property rights, and the long-term future of rural South Dakota.
PowerOn Midwest project
PowerOn Midwest is a major regional transmission initiative proposing new ultra-high-voltage transmission infrastructure, including a 765-kilovolt transmission line. The proposed South Dakota route would run from the Big Stone South Substation area near Big Stone City in Grant County, south through Deuel County and into Brookings County, before continuing east into Minnesota.
At 765,000 volts, this is an exceptionally high transmission voltage level, and infrastructure of this scale raises important questions about electrical safety, agricultural operations, land use, aviation, emergency preparedness, and the future of the communities through which it passes.
Residents want to understand not only the potential impacts of this project, but also who will benefit from it. There is widespread concern that the electricity transmitted through this infrastructure will not directly supply the local communities along the route — or even South Dakota as a whole. We believe the project’s intended power flows, beneficiaries, costs, and direct benefits to South Dakota deserve a clear public explanation.
Multiple concerns
Residents have raised a range of concerns that deserve independent investigation.
Local dairy operators are particularly concerned about electromagnetic fields and induced or stray voltage, including the potential effects on their cows, animal welfare, milk production, and the viability of their operations. Farmers are also concerned about potential electrical effects on GPS, metal buildings, grain-handling equipment, fences, and other metal structures on their properties.
These are working farms and businesses, not empty stretches of land. Residents want clear, independently verified information about potential risks, how they will be assessed, and what protections will be provided to people and livestock living and working near the proposed lines.
There is also a specific incident that warrants further examination. A contractor from Deuel County has reportedly described an occasion when employees were unloading a piece of equipment beneath an existing 345-kV transmission line and encountered significant electrical voltage on a piece of heavy machinery on the trailer itself, as well as even a pickup truck. This account raises questions about induced voltage, grounding, and electrical safety for workers and agricultural operators around high-voltage infrastructure. We believe the incident warrants independent verification and an explanation from qualified electrical experts.
Airstrip might be affected
Another concern involves a private airstrip located along the proposed route. The property owner is concerned that the placement of the transmission infrastructure could make the airstrip unusable.
The potential implications for aviation safety, flight paths, approach and departure clearances, and the continued operation of the airstrip deserve independent assessment. We believe this is an important example of how the proposed route could affect existing rural infrastructure and individual property owners in ways that may not be immediately apparent to the general public.
Property values
Landowners are also deeply concerned about potential property-value losses. Some fear declines of 20% to 30%, although the actual impact would need to be established through credible appraisals, comparable sales, and independent analysis.
For families who have spent their entire lives building, maintaining, and protecting their farms and property, the possibility of such losses is deeply troubling. These properties represent generations of work, financial security, and family legacy. Residents want to know what evidence exists regarding potential property-value impacts, what protections are available to landowners, and whether affected families will be left to absorb the consequences.
Emergency preparedness
Emergency preparedness is another serious concern. Residents question whether local emergency departments, ambulance services, fire departments, and other first responders have the specialized training, equipment, and resources necessary to respond to a serious accident or disaster involving ultra-high-voltage transmission infrastructure.
Communities along the proposed route want to know how an electrical incident, fire, worker injury, or other emergency would be managed, particularly in rural areas where specialized resources may be limited and outside assistance may take time to arrive.
We believe there should be clear answers about whether emergency-response capabilities have been assessed, what specialized training and equipment may be needed, how first responders would coordinate with the transmission operator, and who would be responsible for ensuring local communities are adequately prepared.
These questions should be addressed before infrastructure of this scale is built, rather than after an incident occurs.
Differing setback proposals
The three counties are at different stages of addressing setbacks for the proposed transmission infrastructure.
In Deuel County, a 2,000-foot setback has been reported. In Grant County, recent reporting indicates a 1,000-foot setback recommendation, while Alban, Vernon, and Adams townships have separately passed resolutions opposing routes within 2,000 feet of residences and/or concentrated animal feeding operations. In Brookings County, the Planning & Zoning Commission tabled its decision on Oct. 6 while seeking clarification on the county’s authority and applicable state regulations. A 2,000-foot setback has been discussed there, while some residents are advocating for a half-mile setback of 2,640 feet.
These differing approaches raise important questions about whether rural residents receive consistent protections depending on which county they live in, what setback standards will ultimately apply, and how much authority local governments retain when reviewing a project of this magnitude.
Residents are concerned about whether the proposed setbacks adequately account for homes, dairy operations, livestock facilities, future development, private airstrips, and the unique circumstances of individual farms.
We believe the status of these setbacks, the reasons for the differences among counties, and the potential consequences for affected landowners deserve further investigation.
Local government, public participation
Beyond the technical, agricultural, and financial concerns, there are growing questions about whether residents are receiving meaningful consideration in the local planning and zoning process.
Residents have attended meetings, prepared presentations, and taken time to explain how this project could affect their properties, livestock, businesses, and communities. Yet many feel their voices are not being adequately heard.
On two separate occasions, a Grant County Planning & Zoning Committee member has been observed using his phone during public comment while residents were speaking. These repeated incidents have added to concerns about whether public testimony is receiving the attention and consideration it deserves.
Residents also have questions about how committee members are appointed, how they are held accountable to the communities they serve, and what avenues exist when the public believes its concerns are not being meaningfully considered.
We recognize that elected officials and appointed boards may not agree with every public comment, but when there has been no public opposition to a larger setback, citizens are frustrated. Our concern is whether residents are being given a fair opportunity to present their concerns and whether those concerns are being carefully considered before decisions with lasting consequences are made.
Environmental concerns
Another important concern is the potential impact of the proposed ultra-high-voltage transmission infrastructure on wildlife and migratory birds throughout Grant, Deuel, and Brookings counties. Eastern South Dakota is part of the Prairie Pothole region, where wetlands and grasslands provide important habitat for migratory waterfowl, shorebirds, grassland-nesting birds, and other wildlife.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s protected-species screening for the PowerOn Midwest project identifies potentially affected species and notes wetlands adjacent to the proposed construction corridor. The screening includes bald and golden eagles, bobolinks, Baird’s sparrows, black terns, and other birds of conservation concern, along with protected bats, insects, and plants. South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks has recommended minimizing disturbance to wetlands and riparian habitats and considering bird-flight diverters near wetlands, river crossings, and known bird migration corridors.
Although the state wildlife agency indicated that significant impacts were not anticipated if its recommendations were followed, residents believe the potential effects on sensitive habitats and wildlife deserve careful public scrutiny. We believe reporters should examine whether adequate field surveys have been conducted along the proposed route, whether alternative routes could avoid sensitive habitats, and what enforceable mitigation measures will be required to protect migratory birds and other wildlife.
Public meetings planned
The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission has scheduled public input meetings concerning the PowerOn Midwest project. These meetings provide an important opportunity for residents to speak directly to state regulators and have their concerns entered into the public record.
Among the meetings are two in the Brookings area:
• Oct. 20: 6 p.m. — Brookings Inn, 2500 E. Sixth St., Brookings.
• Oct. 22: 5:30 p.m. — Clear Lake Community Center, 218 Third Ave. S., Clear Lake.
The project is pending before the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission under docket EL26-026. The stated deadline to apply for formal party status is Nov. 3 at 5 p.m. Central Time.
• Official docket and project information: https://puc.sd.gov/Dockets/Electric/2026/EL26-026.aspx
• PowerOn Midwest permit application & proposed routes: https://sd.poweronmidwest.com
With these meetings approaching, we believe residents deserve accurate information about the project, a meaningful opportunity to be heard and clear answers about the potential consequences for their communities.
