DOE’s Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) is preparing this EA to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of a proposal by Basin Electric Power Cooperative to construct, own, and operate an approximately 70-mile long 230-kV single-circuit transmission line that would connect a new switchyard with the existing Witten Substation. As part of the proposed project, WAPA proposes to convert an existing single-circuit transmission line turning structure to a double-circuit structure and construct an approximately 2-mile 230-kV double-circuit transmission line, all in South Dakota. Proposed action is related to the Keystone XL project (see DOE/EIS-0433, DOE/EIS-0433-S1, and DOE/EIS-0433-S2). (USDA Rural Utilities Service, initially the lead agency, issued the Draft EA in January 2015, but no longer is involved in the proposed action.)