Grant County PUD chooses transmission line route in Ephrata

EPHRATA — Grant County PUD staff recommended the northernmost route through Ephrata for a new 230-kilovolt transmission line Monday.

PUD commissioners agreed to proceed with planning for the line.

The power line will run between the Columbia substation, located west of the intersection of Palisades Road and state Route 28 in Douglas County, and the Rocky Ford substation, located near Neppel Road.

Jeff Shupe, the transmission and distribution engineering manager, said in a June meeting that an increase in the amount of electricity the district has access to, and the desire to increase reliability, are driving the need for the new line.

“The need really is to deliver our hydro power from our projects into the county,” he said. “The district has relicensed our projects, so we have a larger share.”

The new line would allow the district to complete a loop around the county, increasing the reliability of the system, Shupe said. After a 2003 blackout, which struck the East Coast, the federal government increased requirements for redundant power lines.

PUD staff identified three choices for the transmission line’s route. The northern route, designated the “yellow” line, travels north of Quincy and through southern Ephrata, covering 35.6 miles. There are 24 public parcels and 232 private parcels within 500 feet of the line.

The middle route, designated the “blue” line, mostly travels along state Route 28 as well as some county roads, covering 34.2 miles. It comes within 500 feet of 16 public parcels and 271 private parcels.

The southern route, designated the “red” line, travels mostly along Road 10 Northwest and Road 9 Northwest, covering 36.7 miles. It passes within 500 feet of 29 public parcels and 362 private parcels.

Staff reported the “yellow” route was the best choice for five of the nine areas they studied including, farms, water resources, cultural resources, cost and real estate.

“Under each category there was a lot of questions,” Public Information Officer Rita Bjork said. “For instance with farming, they wanted to minimize splitting fields … Water resources has to do with the number of stream crossings and impacts on irrigation.”

The “yellow” route is expected to cost $37 million, about $4 million less than its next alternative, according to a report.

Along with those considerations, 31 of the 54 written comments favored the “yellow” line, with no one supporting the “blue” line and three people supporting the “red” line, according to a PUD report.

The PUD will work on a detailed engineering design, environmental studies, permitting and getting access for the line during 2010 and 2011. The studies include the placement of utility poles in the corridor. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2013.