The following resources were developed and cultivated by subject-matter experts at NextGen Highways with the assistance of stakeholders in the energy, transportation and public sectors

Next-Gen Grid: Using Co-Location to Expand Transmission

View a recording of a webinar hosted by Americans for a Clean Energy Grid (ACEG) and Nextgen Highways (NGH) exploring the possibility of building new transmission along existing rights-of-way.

Our great panel discusses key considerations for developers, governments, and communities.

Panel:

– Bob Fasick, Wisconsin DOT
– Catherine Reed, NASEO – David Davis, APEX Clean Energy
– Moderator: Matt Prorok, NextGen Highways & Great Plains Institute

Survey: Minnesota Voters Want Electric Transmission Lines Built Along Highways

Minnesota voters overwhelmingly support the building of electric transmission lines alongside highways and other existing infrastructure corridors, according to a new NextGen Highways initiative survey.

In the statewide survey, 79 percent of respondents prefer building electric transmission lines alongside existing powerlines, highways, rail, and other existing public right of way (ROW) corridors. That compares to just 3 percent who prefer private lands such as farms, forests, or neighborhoods, according to the Public Policy Polling survey of 684 Minnesota registered voters on February 21 and 22, 2023.

Click below to download the summary of the survey findings or download the full survey results.

NextGen Highways Feasibility Study for the Minnesota Department of Transportation

The NextGen Highways Team worked with an internal working group at the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) to investigate the opportunities and barriers associated with locating buried high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission and fiber within the highway right-of-way (ROW).

This Feasibility Study reviewed applicable policy, regulation, and projects; analyzed MnDOT-specific concerns; examined HVDC transmission line requirements; assessed buried HVDC cost and benefits; and broadly evaluated typical highway ROW design for suitability of HVDC transmission line siting. The findings from this study demonstrate that buried HVDC transmission is cost-effective and can be feasibly sited in interstate and highway ROW after making appropriate consideration for existing and future transportation system needs. While the team identified challenges over the course of this study, none of those challenges appear to pose barriers that cannot be overcome.