Introducing Cedar Lake Substation: Enhancing reliability and meeting growing energy demand

by Steve Stroshane, general manager, and Jarod Boerst, co-op engineer

We are excited to announce the completion of the Cedar Lake Substation in the Town of Star Prairie, which was successfully connected to the grid in December 2025. This marks a significant milestone for Polk-Burnett Electric Cooperative, as it is our first new substation to go online since 2001. Cedar Lake Substation will help meet growing energy needs for members in East Farmington, Somerset and Star Prairie areas.

The substation receives electricity from Dairyland Power Cooperative's high-voltage transmission lines. All substations within our service area are owned by Dairyland, and we are responsible for delivering power from the substation to you, our local members.

The primary benefit of our investment in Cedar Lake Substation is improved reliability. This new infrastructure reduces high energy demand at Farmington Substation and helps restore outages faster, with approximately $25,000 per year in operating cost savings.

Relieving Pressure on Farmington Substation
Farmington Substation is currently serving one of the most heavily loaded circuits in our system. Backup support comes all the way from Trap Rock Substation on County M, east of Osceola.

Farmington ranks third on our list for substation growth, providing electricity to 2,150 homes, farms, and businesses. The substation has grown by about 1,000 member accounts since the year 2000.

We will transfer 875 locations to our new Cedar Lake Substation, reducing the load on Farmington to about 1,275 locations served.

During the hot Labor Day weekend of 2023, the demand for electricity at Farmington peaked at 7,500 kW. By transferring 3,000 kW of summer peak load to Cedar Lake, we will reduce Farmington's peak to a more manageable 4,500 kW.

Co-op line crews played a vital role in the construction of Cedar Lake Substation. Pictured left, they reconfigured high-voltage power lines. Electricity is delivered over high-voltage transmission lines from generation facilities to substations. From there, it is distributed over local power lines to member homes, farms, and businesses.

Faster Outage Restoration
Cedar Lake Substation is equipped with advanced technology that simplifies the switching procedure and allows us to quickly re-route power during outages. This means that members can be served from neighboring Farmington and Sand Lake substations if necessary.

For example, some of you may recall the winter storm in December 2020, which brought freezing rain and strong winds. It caused power lines to gallop and collide, left, resulting in a four-hour outage for 825 members. With Cedar Lake Substation online, we can now re-route electricity from another substation and restore power in minutes, making a significant impact on a cold winter night for affected members.

Another example comes from July 2024, when a car accident involving a guywire led to an eight-hour power outage for 875 co-op members. With the new Cedar Lake Substation in service, incidents like this can be managed quickly to get your lights back on.

Cedar Lake Substation is important for modernizing the grid and meeting your electricity demand. This investment in our local grid helps us build a brighter, more resilient future.