SaskPower has reached a new agreement with its contemporaries over the border.

The Crown corporation has come to an agreement with Southwest Power Pool out of the United States to expand its transmission line capacity.

The transmission line currently is set up to handle 150 megawatts of power. This new line would see the old one was taken apart, and a new line capable of carrying 650 megawatts of the good zappy stuff. It is expected to be ready by 2027.

A spokesperson for SaskPower, Joel Cherry, believes this upgrade will help them meet their goal of fazing out coal power in Saskatchewan entirely by the federal deadline of 2029.

"We'll be responsible for designing and building the transmission line on our side of the border and the Southwest Power Pool would be responsible for building the necessary infrastructure in North Dakota," explained Cherry. "Once that transmission infrastructure is in place, we'll be able to import and export more power."

The existing transmission line is south of Estevan and is not capable of carrying the required current this new deal is arranging for. When the old line is retired, folks can expect the transmission line to remain in the southeast part of Saskatchewan, as they need to have access to the grid in North Dakota, as that is the nearest state to Saskatchewan that's a part of the Southwest Power Pool, which has 14 states in its jurisdiction.

With coal being phased out entirely in the next ten years, SaskPower must remain able to meet power demands while they change over their infrastructure to more renewable-based sources.

"Getting this line in place by 2027 is going to be important to make sure we still have a reliable supply of power for our customers," said Cherry. "We work toward reducing our carbon emissions and adding more renewable power here in Saskatchewan."

While the removal of coal is a big win for the environment in Saskatchewan, the power being brought in from over the border will not be entirely without coal dependency, as it is coming from a separate grid. Southwest Power Pool uses a variety of sources for its power, not limited to conventional fossil fuels. They utilize wind, solar, and hydropower where they can to help meet demands.

It is unknown at this time if this project will be reflected in customers' bills, as it's still in the early development stages. Suffice it to say SaskPower will continue to utilize this as a means to make sure homes stay powered throughout the years to come.