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The Highway 8 corridor in Lindstrom and Center City has been bustling with crews installing new, taller power poles for the powerline capacity upgrade.

Xcel Energy is replacing existing poles and boosting the capacity of the electric lines from 69 kilo volts to 115 kilo volts. The project in Lindstrom begins at the electric substation behind the Lindstrom Foods and Thrifty White stores, and travels east to the border with Wisconsin. The footprint of the substation was enlarged slightly to house equipment needed for the enhanced transmission.

When the new line connects to the new substation-- which is also part of this project-- it steps up to 161 kilovolts.

The "Lawrence Creek" substation is also currently under construction immediately west of Taylors Falls.

The Xcel transmission upgrade continues into St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin across the St. Croix River, carried on devices atop the hydro-electric dam structure. Eventually the enhanced capacity project terminates at a substation many miles into Wisconsin.

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