How Much Of Minnesota’s Electricity Is Imported?

Most Minnesotans probably don't think too much about where their electricity comes from. But if where it comes from could lead to an increase in cost, people might find themselves more curious if their power bill goes up.

According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), Minnesota is home to just under 30 hydroelectric dams, two nuclear power plants, and a number of other power-generating stations.

While Minnesota's in-state electricity generation has gone up quite a bit in the last 15 years, the state is still a net importer of electricity, which means Minnesotans use more electricity than is made in the state. While some of it is imported from other states, some comes from Canada.

With concerns about Canadian tariffs and the potential of increased prices in the news, how much of Minnesota's electricity is imported? Where does it come from? Let's take a look.

How much of the electricity Minnesota uses is imported?

According to an annual energy fact sheet about Minnesota electricity, the amount of imported electricity has come down from nearly 25% in 2013 to around 10% in the last few years.

This number has trended downward as Minnesota's pivot to renewable energy has grown. The EIA says 37.2% of Minnesota's electricity as of 2024 comes from renewable sources, much of which is from within the state.

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That means that while more electricity for Minnesotans than ever before is made in Minnesota, there is still a notable amount (13% in 2023 according to the most recent data) that comes from elsewhere.

Where does Minnesota import its electricity from?

The website Fresh Energy explains that Great River Energy, which serves a vast majority of Minnesota, imports electricity from two locations.

Fresh Energy explains that they import electricity from a handful of coal and wind plants in North Dakota, as well as wind farms in Iowa. This is similar for other companies serving Minnesota as well.

In addition to the above-mentioned electricity-generating locations in the United States, they also highlight the import of hydroelectric electricity from Manitoba in Canada.

You can see in the transmission line map above, there is a major transmission line that runs from Winnipeg through Northern Minnesota to the Iron Range before cutting south toward the Twin Cities.

A big piece of that path is the Great Northern Transmission Line, which provides power for nearly 150,000 customers in Northeastern Minnesota.

How much of Minnesota's electricity is from Canada?

The Minnesota Department of Commerce shares that as of 2022, 1.5% of Minnesota's electricity came from hydroelectric dams/power stations. They don't specify if that is overall energy consumed, or if it is just Minnesota-made electricity consumed.

Canadian electricity producer Manitoba Hydro lays out some of its export deals with places in the United States, including with Great River Energy, Minnesota Power, and a subdivision of of Xcel Energy, among others.

The highlights of their deals include up to 1.405 gigawatts annually to companies that serve Minnesota.

Even then, those numbers aren't a perfectly clear answer. Some of the deals they highlight include seasonal exchanges between Minnesota and Manitoba where Minnesota companies send electricity back to Manitoba seasonally. In addition, some of the deals include delivery to companies that service more than just Minnesota.