As we say in transmission, “It’s all connected.” This post is about the connections between what’s been proposed by ITC Midwest as the MN/IA 345 kV project, and its relation to other projects in the area and its place in the “package deal” Multi Value Project (MVP) Portfolio. Remember in looking at these maps that in the Midwest, power flows roughly from the NW to the SE.
Once more with feeling, here’s the project map in Minnesota:
This project above, is the Minnesota part of MISO’s “MVP 3” which is in Minnesota and Iowa, and which connects directly to MISO’s “MVP 4” in Iowa, heading east:

So now, let’s look at the bigger picture, of which there are several. First, the full MVP portfolio, 17 transmission projects in the Midwest:

This MVP Portfolio was modeled, studied, and sold as a “package deal.”

Now let’s take a look at how this all fits together, MVP 2, 3, 4, 5 and other recent 345 kV additions to the system, remember, “It’s all connected” in transmission:

MVP 1 in the NW corner of this map runs from the Big Stone coal plant to the Brookings substation.
MVP 2 is the CapX 2020 Brookings-Hampton transmission project. No CapX 2020 and CETF intervened in the CapX 2020 Certificate of Need docket (06-1115) and No CapX 2020 and U-CAN intervened in the Routing docket (08-1474).
MVP 3 is in part, this ITC Midwest MN/IA line, in pink on the map, divided roughly 50/50 between Minnesota and Iowa, and 50/50 between ITC Midwest and Mid American. MVP 3 surrounds the “3” in the map, above, like a tuning fork, with two forks running west to east, and then a connecting line running north/south.
MVP 4 runs eastward from MVP 3, and connects into existing 345 kV transmission, the blue dots.
MVP 5 is in part the Badger Coulee line, in blue on the map. Note the connecting blue dots between MVP 2’s Hampton substation through SE Minnesota to La Crosse, WI. As above, CapX 2020 and CETF intervened in the CapX 2020 Certificate of Need docket (06-1115), and No CapX was an intervenor in that routing docket, jointly with U-CAN and North Route Group. The other part of MVP 5 is the part connecting MVP 3 and MVP 4, via existing transmission, into MVP 5 and running towards Madison.
Here’s a map from the MVP report, where you can graphically (in the “WOW” “DUH!” sense) see that the point of all these projects, the package, is to move power from the cheaper areas to the higher priced areas, from where electricity sells for $30-50 to $70-200:
The “benefit” of being able to sell power for so much more than is currently possible is one hell of a benefit!
It’s connected by benefits — the “benefits” claimed are the benefits achieved if, and only if, all 17 MVP projects are operating. All the modeling was done with that assumption, that ALL of the 17 projects are operating.
Here’s the full MISO Business Case document, check it out:
20110919 MVP Proposed Portfolio Business Case
And even more, the full MVP Report:
MVP Portfolio Analysis Full Report
And while we’re talking about “benefits” it’s time to trot out that ICF Benefits report again:
ICF – MISO Benefits Analysis Study
More in a bit — up next is cost info — there’s additional MISO stuff I need to look up.