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This page last updated: 10/25/2011
Metadata created using Minnesota Geographic Metadata Guidelines
| Originator | Minnesota Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo) |
| Abstract | The Minnesota Electric Transmission Mapping Project has developed two geographic information system data sets: electric transmission lines and substations. This metadata record describes both data sets. The electric transmission network information consists of transmission lines, with associated substations, designed to handle 60 Kilovolts or greater. Note that the data does not have network connectivity. Each utility company was mailed a request for the facility information which they could provide in either digital or paper form. The responses varied significantly in quality and quantity. In addition, the companies expressed concerns about providing the information because of security concerns. Data users are strongly encouraged to read the data quality section of this documentation. The dataset was last updated in 2007 -- most changes were to improve the positional accuracy of lines and substations from the 2003 dataset, and several new lines were added in the southern and western areas of the state. Most of the attributes from the 2003 dataset were deleted since most of them were blank and since security concerns persist about whether any detailed attributes should be released. The Minnesota Electric Transmission Mapping Project is a collaborative effort between the Environmental Quality Board, MnGeo (formerly the Land Management Information Center or LMIC) and the Minnesota Department of Commerce. |
| Browse Graphic | View a sample of the data. |
| Time Period of Content Date | 2007 |
| Currentness Reference | The companies provided data from December 2001 to October 2003. The editing process corrected information until the winter of 2003/2004. In 2007, the positional accuracy of many transmission lines and substations were improved using several sources (see Lineage for details), and several new lines were added based on data provided by HDR. The 2007 dataset is NOT a comprehensive update for the entire state. |
| Access Constraints | There are no access constraints to view or download the map at: http://www.gda.state.mn.us/maps/ElecTran07.pdf Due to security concerns, the GIS data is not available online. It must be requested according to the directions found in 'Ordering Instructions'. |
| Use Constraints | Redistribution Conditions: In obtaining the electric transmission line and substation GIS data from MnGeo, it is understood that you and/or your organization have the right to use them for any internal purpose. You should not transmit or provide the GIS files in any form to another user; instead, refer other users to MnGeo to obtain the GIS data. |
| Distributor Organization | Minnesota Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo) |
| Ordering Instructions | 1. Map: A PDF version of the 2007 statewide map showing transmission lines and substation locations is free online at: http://www.gda.state.mn.us/maps/ElecTran07.pdf 2. GIS data: For security reasons, MnGeo is not permitted to post the GIS data online. Contact MnGeo to request a password-protected copy of the data at no charge. Please provide the following information to MnGeo Your name Organization name Mailing address Phone number Email address A MnGeo staff member will contact you to complete the order. |
| Online Linkage | none available |
Go to Section:
1. Identification Information
2. Data Quality Information
3. Spatial Data Organization Information
4. Spatial Reference Information
5. Entity and Attribute Information
6. Distribution Information
7. Metadata Reference Information
| Section 1 | Identification Information | Top of page | ||
| Originator | Minnesota Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo) | |||
| Title | Electric Transmission Lines and Substations, 60 Kilovolt and Greater, Minnesota, 2007 | |||
| Abstract | The Minnesota Electric Transmission Mapping Project has developed two geographic information system data sets: electric transmission lines and substations. This metadata record describes both data sets. The electric transmission network information consists of transmission lines, with associated substations, designed to handle 60 Kilovolts or greater. Note that the data does not have network connectivity. Each utility company was mailed a request for the facility information which they could provide in either digital or paper form. The responses varied significantly in quality and quantity. In addition, the companies expressed concerns about providing the information because of security concerns. Data users are strongly encouraged to read the data quality section of this documentation. The dataset was last updated in 2007 -- most changes were to improve the positional accuracy of lines and substations from the 2003 dataset, and several new lines were added in the southern and western areas of the state. Most of the attributes from the 2003 dataset were deleted since most of them were blank and since security concerns persist about whether any detailed attributes should be released. The Minnesota Electric Transmission Mapping Project is a collaborative effort between the Environmental Quality Board, MnGeo (formerly the Land Management Information Center or LMIC) and the Minnesota Department of Commerce. |
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| Purpose | This project will assist with state energy planning efforts and enhance public understanding of Minnesota's electric power infrastructure. | |||
| Time Period of Content Date | 2007 | |||
| Currentness Reference | The companies provided data from December 2001 to October 2003. The editing process corrected information until the winter of 2003/2004. In 2007, the positional accuracy of many transmission lines and substations were improved using several sources (see Lineage for details), and several new lines were added based on data provided by HDR. The 2007 dataset is NOT a comprehensive update for the entire state. | |||
| Progress | Complete | |||
| Maintenance and Update Frequency | Irregular | |||
| Spatial Extent of Data | State of Minnesota to first substation outside the state (goal of the project). | |||
| Bounding Coordinates | -97.200660 -90.290680 48.814113 43.280315 |
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| Place Keywords | Minnesota | |||
| Theme Keywords | utilitiesCommunication, Utilities, Transmission Lines, Substations, Power, Power Lines, Powerlines, Electric, Electricity, AC, DC | |||
| Theme Keyword Thesaurus | ISO 19115 Topic Category | |||
| Access Constraints | There are no access constraints to view or download the map at: http://www.gda.state.mn.us/maps/ElecTran07.pdf Due to security concerns, the GIS data is not available online. It must be requested according to the directions found in 'Ordering Instructions'. |
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| Use Constraints | Redistribution Conditions: In obtaining the electric transmission line and substation GIS data from MnGeo, it is understood that you and/or your organization have the right to use them for any internal purpose. You should not transmit or provide the GIS files in any form to another user; instead, refer other users to MnGeo to obtain the GIS data. | |||
| Contact Person Information | Norman Anderson,
GIS Project Specialist Minnesota Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo) 658 Cedar Street, 300 Centennial Building St. Paul, MN 55155 Phone: 651-201-2483 FAX: 651-296-3698 E-mail: clearing.house@state.mn.us | |||
| Browse Graphic | View a sample of the data. | |||
| Browse Graphic File Description | Statewide map showing transmission lines and substation locations. | |||
| Associated Data Sets | See the transmission line section of MnGeo's first-stop information webpage on utilities: http://www.mngeo.state.mn.us/chouse/utilities.html#transmission |
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| Section 2 | Data Quality Information | Top of full metadata | Top of page | |
| Attribute Accuracy | No statistical attribute assessment has been performed on the data. Substations from different companies which are in close proximity sometimes have the same or similar names. When LMIC (now MnGeo) standardized transmission line and substation characteristics, errors may have been inadvertently introduced to values. For several transmission lines, the VOLTAGE field is set to zero since the company did not provide the voltage to LMIC. Several lines are included in the 2007 version that have voltages lower than 60 kV, but this dataset does NOT comprehensively map lower voltge lines for the state. For substations, LMIC attempted to expand the characteristics for the values of SUB_TYPE and VOLTAGE where they were missing. LMIC added the SOURCE attribute to track some of the positional sources of data when the companies did not. Sometimes it refers to the organization that provided the data (e.g., HDR); sometimes it refers to the data source (e.g., an air photo). It was added midway through the dataset creation process so it is not always filled in. |
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| Logical Consistency | Data have been topologically structured and verified using the following rules: 1. Transmission lines must not overlap and must not self-intersect. 2. Substations must be covered by endpoint of transmission lines. Data does not have network connectivity. Several companies submitted information which was biased towards a graphical representation of features: 1. Transmission lines are typically represented by a series of segments which are broken by substations, i.e., lines are not connected to substations. 2. Transmission lines that cross and do not intersect are represented by one line arching over the other. 3. A transmission line that is a double circuit is displayed as two lines separated by a wide distance even though the lines are on the same set of poles. Each company provided a list of features along with the map data. For three companies (Great River Energy, Otter Tail Power and Xcel Energy), there was not a one-to-one match between the feature list and the map. |
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| Completeness | Transmission lines: Each company filled out the requested information to a varying degree. The majority supplied the key characteristics for transmission lines and substations but no company supplied all the values for each requested item. Minnkota Power Cooperative, Inc. Dairyland did not provide any feature characteristics other than the company identification and voltage for their transmission lines and substations. Substations: Several companies provided substation names but very little else. The initial list of utilities missed two companies: East River Electric Power Cooperative and Rochester Public Utilities. This suggests that other companies could have been missed. Otter Tail Power Company never returned review maps. Lines added in 2007 version: 1. A missing 345 kV line in southern Minnesota. 2. 12 lines in southern and western Minnesota; they are identified as 'HDR' in the 'SOURCE' field and 'HDR added' in the 'COMMENTS' field. |
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| Horizontal Positional Accuracy | ----------------------------- 2003 VERSION ----------------------------- The utility companies were hesitant to provide positional accuracy information. When pressed for accuracy, several stated approximately 150 meters (approx. 500 feet). In a review of features, transmission lines and substations were found up to 550 meters from a location shown on aerial photographs, although at least most facilities were located on the correct side of map features such as roads and lakes. Two companies declared more specific accuracy figures: +/- 100 feet - Minnesota Power's GIS data. +/- 1,500 feet - Minnkota CADD data. To illustrate the differences in horizontal positional accuracy within the 2003 data set, LMIC (now MnGeo) overlaid transmission lines and substation locations on 2003 orthorectified aerial photos ( http://www.mngeo.state.mn.us/chouse/metadata/naip03.html ). See an example of relatively accurate locations: ftp://ftp.lmic.state.mn.us/pub/data/trans_util/electrans03_accuracy1.jpg and an example of relatively inaccurate locations (substation point is two farm fields away from the actual location): ftp://ftp.lmic.state.mn.us/pub/data/trans_util/electrans03_accuracy2.jpg --------------------------- 2007 VERSION --------------------------- The positional accuracy of the lines and points were improved to match either the 2004 0.3-meter resolution NGA photos in the Twin Cities metropolitan area ( http://www.mngeo.state.mn.us/chouse/metadata/doq_msp04.html ), or the 2003-04 FSA NAIP 1-meter resolution photos ( http://www.mngeo.state.mn.us/chouse/metadata/naip03-04.html ) in areas not covered by NGA photos. |
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| Vertical Positional Accuracy | Not applicable | |||
| Lineage | The Minnesota Electric Transmission Line Mapping Project is a collaborative effort between MnGeo (formerly LMIC), the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board and the Minnesota Department of Commerce. --------------------------- 2003 VERSION --------------------------- A letter was sent to the utility companies in August, 2002 requesting information on transmission lines greater than 60 kV and their associated substations. This request asked for the mapped features (digital or paper) and characteristics describing the features (see Section 5). The list of companies contacted was provided by the Minnesota Transmission Owners consortium. REQUESTED CHARACTERISTICS: Electric Transmission Lines: 1. North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) circuit ID/line # 2. Company circuit ID/line # 3. Line Ownership (list all owners) 4. Original in-service date 5. Date of latest major line alteration 6. Type of alteration: rebuilding, voltage upgrade, reconductoring or pole change-out 7. Type: AC/DC 8. Nominal operating voltage 9. Circuit length 10. Interstate: Y/N (if yes, then identify and locate the first substation outside of the Minnesota state boundary) 11. Single or double circuit structures 12. Voltage design class of structures 13. Primary structure type (e.g., wood, steel, single pole, h-frame, lattice tower) 14. Underground: Y/N (indicate on the map which portion of the line is underground) 15. Maximum continuous conductor ampacity (Category A rating) 16. Maximum temperature rise rating 17. Number of conductors, size and circular mils and type (e.g. 2-795 ASCR) 18. Summer and winter continuous circuit capacity in MVA (megavolt amperes) 19. The data's spatial accuracy Substations: 1. Substation name 2. Location 3. Ownership 4. List bus voltages and bus number ID 5. The spatial accuracy of the recorded location 6. Source - CAD, GPS, paper map, etc. 7. Metadata - name if available REVIEW OF DATA BY COMPANY: Alliant Energy Corp. Services: Five ESRI coverages were received in May 2003: iowagen, iowasub, iowatrans, minnsub and minntrans. Dairyland Power Cooperative: Two DXF files were received, one for lines and the other for substations, in February, 2002. A separate spreadsheet contained the feature characteristics. East River Electric Power Cooperative: Eight PDF files were provided in October, 2003. The maps are similar to the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) general highway map series with the transmission lines and substations on top. No additional feature characteristics were included with the maps. This company was missing from the original list of companies. Great River Energy: Two ESRI shapefiles were received, one for lines and the other for substations, in February, 2002. A separate spreadsheet contained the feature characteristics. Hutchinson Utilities Commission: No data; covered by other companies. Minnesota Power: One MapInfo File (MIF) was received which contained both transmission lines and substations, in February, 2002. Two spreadsheets contained the feature characteristics, one for transmission lines and another for substations. Minnkota Power Cooperative, Inc.: Several DXF files were received, one for each transmission line voltage and another for substations, in December, 2001. No feature characteristics were provided for their features. Missouri River Energy Services: No data was provided because their facilities are included in the information provided by Otter Tail Power Company. Otter Tail Power Company: Paper maps were provided in February, 2002. A separate spreadsheet contained the feature characteristics. Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency: Paper maps were provided in February, 2002. A separate spreadsheet contained the feature characteristics. Rochester Public Utilities: Two ESRI shapefiles were received, one for the transmission lines and the other with substations, in August, 2003. A separate spreadsheet contained the feature characteristics. This company was missing from the original list of companies. Willmar Municipal Utilities: One paper map was provided in January, 2002. A separate spreadsheet contained the feature characteristics. Xcel Energy, Inc.: DXF files organized by county were provided in the time period May - July, 2002. A separate spreadsheet contained the feature characteristics. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF DATA PREPARATION Paper Maps: 1. Digitize transmission lines and substations. 2. Add company IDs. 3. Relate to add in feature characteristics. 4. Compare digitized features with the source materials received from the power company. DXF Maps: 1. Convert to ESRI coverage. 2. Project to UTM, extended zone 15, NAD 83. 3. Add company IDs. 4. Combine individual county general highway map based layers into one statewide file. 5. Relate to add in feature characteristics. 6. Compare converted and combined features with the source materials received from the power company. Map Info Files (MIF): 1. Convert to ESRI coverage. 2. Project to UTM, extended zone 15, NAD83. 3. Relate to add in feature characteristics. 4. Compare converted features with the source materials received from the power company. ESRI Shapefiles: 1. Convert to ESRI coverage. 2. Project to UTM, extended zone 15, NAD 83. 3. Relate to add in feature characteristics. 4. Compare converted features with the source materials received from the power company. PDF Maps: 1. Convert to JPG. 2. Geo-reference to match 1:100,000-scale public land survey lines (the TRS data set, described at: http://www.mngeo.state.mn.us/chouse/metadata/trs.html ). 3. Heads-up digitize electric transmission lines and substations based on geo-referenced image. 4. Add company IDs. 5. Relate to add in feature characteristics. 6. Compare digitized features with the source materials received from the power company. The characteristics were standardized as much as possible. Grouped values were parsed and items listed individually were concatenated. Once the original information was completed, proof maps were generated and sent to the companies for review in early 2003. The proof maps were created for each company by Mn/DOT county map sheet with the 2002 Mn/DOT General Highway maps in the background: http://www.mngeo.state.mn.us/chouse/metadata/hwy_map1.html They were made available electronically by Acrobat PDF or in printed form. The transmission lines (voltage by color and identification by text label) and substations (identification by text label) for that company were in the foreground. The final statewide composite data sets were created by combining all the correctly characterized transmission lines and substations from each company's individual data set. In early 2004, the current data sets were sent to each company for their comments. ------------------------ 2007 UPDATE ------------------------ SOURCES The 2003 version of the dataset was updated using several sources: 1. Transmission line and substation shapefiles from HDR consulting firm, dated 5/18/07. 2. 2004 Orthophotos: 0.3-meter NGA photos of much of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. http://www.mngeo.state.mn.us/chouse/metadata/doq_msp04.html 3. 2003-04 Orthophotos: 1-meter FSA NAIP photos used where NGA photos were not available: http://www.mngeo.state.mn.us/chouse/metadata/naip03-04.html 4. Great River Energy (GRE) new 115 kV line added between Air Lake substation and Empire substation, dated 7/17/07. If a line or substation was moved to match the HDR location, the SOURCE attribute was updated to HDR. If a line or substation was moved to match the air photo, SOURCE is AP. Several lines were included that have voltages below 60 kV. ATTRIBUTES STREAMLINED Most of the attributes from the original 2003 dataset were deleted because: 1. Most companies did not provide the information to LMIC so the attributes were blank. 2. Security concerns persist about whether detailed attributes should be released. |
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| Source Scale Denominator | ||||
| Section 3 | Spatial Data Organization Information | Top of full metadata | Top of page | |
| Native Data Set Environment | ESRI ArcGIS 9.1 | |||
| Geographic Reference for Tabular Data | None | |||
| Spatial Object Type | Vector | |||
| Vendor Specific Object Types | Line | |||
| Tiling Scheme | Statewide | |||
| Section 4 | Spatial Reference Information | Top of full metadata | Top of page | |
| Horizontal Coordinate Scheme | UTM | |||
| Ellipsoid | Geodetic Reference System 80 | |||
| Horizontal Datum | NAD83 | |||
| Horizontal Units | Meters | |||
| Distance Resolution | ||||
| Altitude Datum | Not applicable | |||
| Depth Datum | Not applicable | |||
| UTM Zone Number | 15E | |||
| Section 5 | Entity and Attribute Information | Top of full metadata | Top of page | |
| Entity and Attribute Overview | TRANSMISSION LINES: COMPANY - name of the company that provided the data - 45 characters. CIRCUIT_ID - North American Electrical Reliability Council (NERC) circuit identification / line number - 91 characters. COMP_ID - company circuit identification / line number - 35 characters. ACDC - AC or DC power - 2 characters. VOLTAGE - voltage in kilovolts (kV) - 3 digits. INTERSTATE - yes or no - 3 characters. COMMENTS SOURCE - Source was added by LMIC to track some of the positional sources of data when the companies did not (see Attribute Accuracy field above). Codes used: - AP: aerial photography (statewide 1 meter, metro .3 meter) - GRE: Great River Energy - HDR: HDR consulting firm - Paper: paper maps - Blanks or NULLs: before tracking ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUBSTATIONS: COMPANY - company name - 45 characters. COMP_ID - substation identification - 45 characters. SUB_TYPE - substation type - 15 characters. SOURCE - Source was added by LMIC to track some of the positional sources of data when the companies did not (see Attribute Accuracy field above). Codes used: - AP: aerial photography (statewide 1 meter, metro .3 meter) - CAD: DXF/DWG files - GIS: Geographic Information System file - GIS m: Geographic Information System file from Rochester Public Utilities - GPS: GPS coordinates - HDR: HDR consulting firm - Blanks or NULLs: before tracking COMMENTS |
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| Entity and Attribute Detailed Citation | ||||
| Section 6 | Distribution Information | Top of full metadata | Top of page | |
| Publisher | Minnesota Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo) | |||
| Publication Date | 06/20/2008 | |||
| Contact Person Information | Nancy Rader GIS Data Coordinator Minnesota Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo) 658 Cedar Street, 300 Centennial Building St. Paul, MN 55155 Phone: 651-201-2489 FAX: 651-296-3698 E-mail: clearing.house@state.mn.us |
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| Distributor's Data Set Identifier | elec_trans07 - Transmission lines and substations 2007 | |||
| Distribution Liability | DISTRIBUTION LIABILITY STATEMENT For data or maps delivered online or by physical media by the Minnesota Geospatial Information Office Limitations: Although extensive effort has been made to produce error-free and complete data, all geographic information has limitations due to the scale, resolution, date and interpretation of the original source materials. Users should consult available data documentation (metadata) for this particular data to determine limitations and the precision to which the data depict distance, direction, location or other geographic characteristics. Data may be subject to change without prior notification. No warranty: Data is provided as is, without any warranty whatsoever, including but not limited to any warranty as to performance, merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. Liability: The entire risk as to the results of the use of this data is assumed by the user. MnGeo is not responsible for any interpretation or conclusions made by those who acquire or use it. MnGeo shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, compensatory or consequential damages or third-party claims resulting from the use of this data, even if MnGeo has been advised of the possibility of such potential loss or damage. In states that do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, this data may not be used. Redistribution Conditions: In obtaining the electric transmission line and substation GIS data from MnGeo, it is understood that you and/or your organization have the right to use them for any internal purpose. You should not transmit or provide the GIS files in any form to another user; instead, refer other users to MnGeo to obtain the GIS data. Data delivered on electronic media: If data has been requested from MnGeo on magnetic media, CD or any other physical media, MnGeo will deliver it in the computer-readable format agreed upon with the requestor. MnGeo will reissue data if it is unreadable by correctly adjusted computer input devices or when the media is delivered in a damaged condition. Requests for reissue of this digital data product must be made within 30 days of the date shipped from MnGeo. |
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| Transfer Format Name | ESRI shapefile | |||
| Transfer Format Version Number | ||||
| Transfer Size | Less than 1 MB | |||
| Ordering Instructions | 1. Map: A PDF version of the 2007 statewide map showing transmission lines and substation locations is free online at: http://www.gda.state.mn.us/maps/ElecTran07.pdf 2. GIS data: For security reasons, MnGeo is not permitted to post the GIS data online. Contact MnGeo to request a password-protected copy of the data at no charge. Please provide the following information to MnGeo Your name Organization name Mailing address Phone number Email address A MnGeo staff member will contact you to complete the order. |
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| Online Linkage | none available | |||
| Section 7 | Metadata Reference Information | Top of full metadata | Top of page | |
| Metadata Date | 10/25/2011 | |||
| Contact Person Information | Nancy Rader,
GIS Data Coordinator Minnesota Geospatial Information Office (MnGeo) 658 Cedar Street, 300 Centennial Building St. Paul, MN 55155 Phone: 651-201-2489 FAX: 651-296-3698 E-mail: clearing.house@state.mn.us |
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| Metadata Standard Name | Minnesota Geographic Metadata Guidelines | |||
| Metadata Standard Version | 1.2 | |||
| Metadata Standard Online Linkage | http://www.gis.state.mn.us/stds/metadata.htm | |||
This page last updated: 10/25/2011