(Photo Credit: CTV Regina)

Starting in 2027, SaskPower will expand it’s transmission line capacity between Saskatchewan and the United States by 500 megawatts.

A 20-year agreement was signed between SaskPower and the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) that will enable the import and export of up to 650 megawatts across the border.

A news release from SaskPower says, expanding transmission capacity to the U.S. will improve reliability in the event of planned or unplanned outages at SaskPower facilities. It also makes it possible for Saskatchewan to export excess power into the pool, which will create revenue opportunities.

The SPP manages the electric grid and wholesale power market for the central United States and is comprised of over 94 thousand megawatts of installed generation.

Currently, SaskPower’s total tie-line capacity in and out of the SPP is only 150 megawatts. In the next five years SaskPower will build the necessary transmission facilities needed for the electricity increase.