Alternate #4 which takes the Malheur County corridor and instead routes it as an overlap to IPCo's proposed Emmett to Hemingway leg of the Treasure Valley Electrical Plan.
It is apparent that SIP's attempts to offer alternatives and otherwise engage Idaho Power in implementing a transmission route agreeable to IPCo, residents of Malheur County, Oregon regulatory agencies and environmental groups have come to an impasse.
IPCo has made clear its adherence to a route which includes a natural gas-fired, combined-cycle combustion turbine substation in Sand Hollow. Excess energy generated from this substation will most likely be sold along the B2H line. The route intends to go over less-populated areas of Malheur County even though this adds to the length of the line.
SIP has therefore proposed a new Alternate #4 which takes the Malheur County corridor and instead routes it as an overlap to IPCo's proposed Emmett to Hemingway leg of the Treasure Valley Electrical Plan.
From Roger Findley's letter to Adam Bless of the Oregon Department of Energy:
Hemingway Substation would still be built but would connect to Sand Hollow Substation from the east rather than from the west. While additional miles would be added at present to the B2H project, IPCo would meet their ultimate goal of providing a 500 kV line around eastern Treasure Valley over the most sparsely populated areas.
The following benefits would be realized with the eastern loop as proposed in SIP’s Alternative 4:
1) It would meet SIP’s goal of keeping the transmission line off EFU land in Malheur County.
2) It would meet IPCo’s goal of having a substation at Sand Hollow.
3) It would meet IPCo’s goal outlined in the TVEP of having a 500 kV loop around most of the greater Treasure Valley area, including passing over the future building sites of the Pearl Substation and South Ada Source Substation and several other substations shown but not named on the TVEP. Virtually the entire 500 kV infrastructure needed for full build-out of the TVEP would be met.
4) It would meet IPCo’s goal of impacting the least number of people, with the hills east of Boise, south of Emmett, and northeast of Payette sparsely inhabited and not farmed.
5) It would build the first 42 miles of IPCo’s Gateway Project expected to begin in 2012, resulting in a net increase in length of only 18 miles to the 500 kV transmission line projects in the western Treasure Valley.
We sincerely hope IPCo will consider this alternative, since it would meet all their planned goals and allow the impasse with residents of Malheur County to come to a cordial end.
You can download a copy of Alternative #4 HERE and Roger Findley's letter to Adam Bless HERE.
