BLM Comment Period

Roger and Jean Findley with the generous help of Evelyn Sayers have researched and written a well-reasoned and fair-minded 11-page letter to the local and regional BLM asking them to consider alternative routes around Malheur County farmland, giving not only ample background material and detailed discussions of alternatives, but legal, financial, and community- based reasons for doing so as well. The BLM extended its comment period to December 22nd to accommodate this input by our non-profit group. The stated aims of the letter (available HERE or under "Documents Links" in the column to the right) are to request that siting agencies:

1. Move the proposed 500 kV transmission line out of exclusive farm use-zoned land in Malheur County in accordance with LCDC Goal 3 guidelines.
2. Eliminate impacts of the 500 kV transmission line to humans, their residences, places of work, and animals as much as would be possible by locating the 500 kV transmission line away from areas of residences and farms.
3. Eliminate impacts of the 500 kV transmission line to scenic values, recreational opportunities, wildlife values, and Oregon Trail values in Malheur County.

You will notice the use of the word "eliminate" rather than "mitigate," a word often thrown around by Idaho Power hoping that you will be satisfied when they "mitigate" what happens to you while moving 12-story towers a few feet into your neighbor's yard rather than doing the responsible thing and following Oregon state law in the first place, by siting transmission lines using designated utility corridors.

Our group is in the process of obtaining counsel from an electrical engineer on the feasibility of the alternate options, including relocating the proposed Sand Hollow substation.

B2H Resource Maps

Check out the Resource Maps at http://boardmantohemingway.com/maps.aspx For example, here's the Land Use map for Idaho: (click for larger map)

You can see the original (purple) transmission line routes straight south through Idaho that were abandoned in favor of swinging wide over Adrian. Interestingly, there is no Irrigated Agriculture land (green grid legend) in the purple routes, although there is through Parma on its way to Adrian. One can only wonder why. I hear the Parma people are beginning to wake up and wonder why themselves.

Another interesting thing is Idaho Power's linchpin to all this, the proposed Sand Hollow Substation, set smack in the middle of Bureau of Land Management (gold legend) land. We over here in Oregon are wondering why Idaho Power doesn't extend the same courtesy to us and route their lines through designated BLM utility corridors. (The yellow grid legend stands for "Area of Critical Environmental Concern," in case you were wondering.)

I'll be taking a few days off to spend Christmas with my darling family. Have a Merry Christmas and may God bless you all!

Faraday's Law of Induction

(for those of you who might believe the Owhyee Siphon constitutes a transmission utility corridor . . .)

Electric Field Induction from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers:
"Induced voltage in a transmission line due to its proximity of another transmission line in the same right of way is often erroneously considered to be solely the result of electromagnetic induction. In general, electromagnetic induction is a function of the loading of the energized line, the proximity of the two lines and the distance that they are paralleled. Most utility personnel are not aware that large voltages can be developed from electric field induction.

Unlike electromagnetic induction, electric field induction is a not a function of the distance that the two lines are paralleled. It is primarily a function of the proximity of the two lines and the magnitude of the operating voltage of the energized line." (from Induced Voltage in Parallel Transmission Lines Caused by Electric Field Induction) http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/Xplore/login.jsp?url=/iel5/4144487/4141002/04144488.pdf?temp=x

Electromagnetic Induction from NASA education:
"The Induced Electric Field"--"A magnetic field is a region where at any point a magnetic force can be observed . . . Similarly, an electric feld is a region of electric forces. . . In particular, if an electric conductor (i.e., irrigation pipeline, watering trough, Owyhee Siphon, etc. ) is placed in an electric field, an electric current . . . will usually flow. If the conductor is a metal and obeys Ohm's rule--as in insulated copper wires used in electric machinery--the current will flow along the wire, its shape depending on that of the wire, and its magnitude on the electric resistance of the material, which depends on thickness, length and material. In addition, various rules need to be obeyed:

• The circuit must be closed, otherwise electric charges carried by the current accumulate at its ends and those accumulations create their own electric field, stopping the flow of any additional current.
• If a current does flow, it contributes its own magnetic field, modifying the one creating it and generally weakening it.
• If some more complicated relation takes the place of Ohm's Law (as happens, for instance, in plasmas), that relation rules the current flow, often making it more complex.
• And... if there is NO electric conductor in the region of changing magnetic field, NO electric current flows. However, there still exists an "induced" electric field, a modification of the properties of space, though without any material on which it acts, it would be hard to detect it.

The high voltage requires the transmission lines to be extremely well insulated from their surroundings, which is why they are strung high in the air (air is an excellent electric insulator), (except when the lines sag as we have seen) hanging from elaborate ceramic supports (ceramic insulates too). . . " http://www-spof.gsfc.nasa.gov/Education/wEMinduc2.html

Transmission Line Safety and Nuisance from CA DOE http://www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/riverside/documents/applicants_files/SPPE_application/04%20T-Line%20Safety%20RERC%20SPPE.pdf

Electric and magnetic fields (EMF) are present wherever electricity flows: around appliances and power lines, in offices, schools and homes. Electric fields are invisible lines of force created by voltage, and are shielded by most materials. Units of measure are volts per meter (V/m). Magnetic fields are invisible lines of force created by electric current and are not shielded by most materials, such as lead, soil and concrete.

Electric Induction – Agriculture Equipment (page 10)
Agricultural equipment can have dimensions approaching those of large road vehicles and as such can be subject to similar electric field induction levels. In practice, the conductivity of tires and good contact with the soil usually insures that electric field induction on farm equipment is seldom perceived.

Irrigation systems often incorporate long runs of metallic pipelines, which can be subject to magnetic field induction when located parallel and close to power lines. Because of the pipes' contact with moist soil, electric field induction is generally negligible, but annoying currents could still be experienced from magnetic coupling to the pipe. Pipe runs laid at right angles to the line will minimize magnetically induced currents although such a layout is not always feasible. Common mitigation measures are grounding and/or insulating the pipeline runs. (Another cost to farmers.)

Operation of irrigation systems beneath power lines presents another safety concern, particularly for systems that can project the water to conductor height. This concern is not caused by induction, but rather by the possibility of direct contact by conductive water. The water stream from a high-pressure nozzle generally consists of a solid and broken-up portion. If the solid stream contacts an energized conductor, electric current conducted down the water stream may be hazardous to someone contacting the nozzle. Line contact by the broken-up part of the water stream is unlikely to present any hazards.

Although there are these legitimate concerns regarding irrigation systems, the only known and unfortunately not infrequent cause of serious accidents is inadvertent contact to lines by upended irrigation pipes, often during an attempt to remove a small field animal that has crawled into the pipe. For this reason, irrigation pipes that are very close to any power line should be moved with caution. The pipes must never violate a safe electrical clearance space around line conductors. (What about line conductors violating a safe clearance space around irrigators?)

Magnetic Induction - Pipelines
Metallic pipelines can be within the transmission line right of way. Magnetic fields penetrate the ground and significant impacts can occur with long pipelines (there is not an established length but typically pipeline lengths more than 1,000 feet become more of a concern). Maximum voltages on the pipeline occur where there are discontinuities in either the transmission line or pipeline. When the transmission line and a pipeline are interacting, such discontinuities take the form of rapid changes in:
• Separation or termination of the pipeline and transmission line or insulating junction
• Sudden changes in pipeline coating characteristics
• A junction between two or more pipelines or transposition of transmission line phases

Note that the induction effects on pipelines during normal power line operating conditions are small compared to the induction effects experienced by a pipeline during a power line fault. The most severe kind of fault is a single phase-to-ground fault, during which high currents circulate in one of the power line phases and are not attenuated by any similar currents in other phases. Hence, fault reduction methods that suffice for single-phase fault conditions are often adequate for other conditions. In spite of the relatively low magnetic field levels during steady state conditions, induced voltages on an unprotected long metallic structure can reach hundreds of volts. The highest magnetically induced voltages occur for a fault condition since the currents in the line can be an order of magnitude greater than the normal or emergency load current. Even with extensive grounding systems connected to the structure, pipeline potentials can be on the order of dozens of volts, with hundreds of amps flowing in the structure. This constitutes primarily a shock hazard, which can be transferred miles away from the parallel corridor. In magnetic coupling studies, it is important that power lines as far away as 1,000 feet or more from the power line under study be given serious consideration.

Generally, there are three techniques to reduce the potential for high magnetically induced voltages below unsafe levels for fences, pipelines and railroad track systems:
• Sectionalize the conductor system – electrically isolate the pipeline, fence, etc. in sections to keep the voltages down to a minimum without the opportunity to build up over long distances. (Another cost to farmers.)
• Ground the conductor system – put grounds on the conductor system at key locations where the conductor system and transmission line change characteristics and locations relative to each other.
• Buried fault reduction wires – install another system of parallel conductors to the pipeline, fence, etc. at key locations to allow the voltages of the multiple conductors to equalize to a common potential thus creating a low potential difference across a person’s body that will not be unsafe. (Another cost to farmers)

My best technique: Move the proposed transmission line and spare us all this induction anxiety.

Surprise Visit by Senator Wyden

Bruce Corn reports that Wednesday, Dec. 17th, Senator Ron Wyden made a surprise stop in Ontario. Jay Chamberlain of the Owyhee Irrigation District asked him about our transmission line problem, and he said he was behind us and would do whatever he could to help our efforts. Jay says the Irrigation District is a local government agency in standing, and that the Bureau of Reclamation must sign off on any transmission lines crossing canals.

Bruce also quoted Ron Kiester of the Owyhee Irrigation South Board as saying that if you're anywhere near headgates under transmission lines along the Homedale PP&L, during a storm, your hair will stand on end. At the transmission line scoping meeting in Marsing, only about ten people showed up, and they thought the line was going to be somewhere off in the desert. I hope they start reading this blog soon.

We sent a packet of documents and maps as requested, to Matt Lawrence, senior policy analyst to Oregon State Senator Ted Ferrioli. Senator Ferrioli plans on a town hall meeting in Ontario early next year, so be watching for it.

This from Pat Trenkel: ". . . (Stacy Captein) says she lived by the huge transmission lines in California. It doesn't happen often, according to her, but in 1988 or 1989 they experienced a power surge in the lines which blew out everyone's electrical equipment. The power company had to replace her coffee pot, TV, and computer monitor. It knocked things off the wall in the barn, and could have killed the cows, had they been milking. Apparently, a lot of people were impacted. I think once would be too many times...what would happen to a person who happened to be touching the wrong thing during a power surge?"

Good question.

"Obama's Bold Energy Agenda"

An interesting article dated 11/7/2008 appears in Environment and Energy News about Congressional and FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) involvement in alternative energy generation and an overhauled national grid. They even have a grid map. (Note the 765 kV lines.)

From the article: "The national grid idea not only is opposed by landowners who do not want unsightly power lines or environmentalists worried about damage to natural resources, Brown said, but also is unpopular with vertically integrated utilities that do not want to compete with other utilities and with leaders in regions that have abundant power generation and low electricity prices, who worry that prices will rise if extra electricity is sent elsewhere. . .

"FERC has been encouraging transmission investment using the rate-incentive authority Congress gave the agency in the 2005 energy law and by approving regional cost-allocation strategies. But such plans vary by region and even by facility."

You can find the entire article here http://www.eenews.net/public/Greenwire/2008/11/07/2

No Path of Least Resistance Here

Grotesque contortions of proposed transmission lines into Malheur County so Ada and Canyon County residents can avoid having to look at 12-story towers.

Possible larger loop with relocated substation (click for larger picture)

We had a good turnout at our Monday night Grange meeting in spite of the weather. Roger Findley gave a presentation on what has happened since our last meeting:

1. Durkee Meeting
2. Owyhee County Commissioner Jerry Hoaglund
3. Retaining legal counsel, Attorney Tom Nelson, Utility and Energy law
4. Letter written by Jean and Roger Findley to Oregon agencies and affected counties (Owyhee, Gem, Malheur and Payette) requesting 2 corridors
5. Proposed wider circle avoiding all private land

including quotes from the 38-member Ada and Canyon County all-Idaho siting committee, some of which are printed below for your amusement:

• "Can the 500 kV line extend into Oregon? "
• "Can we go beyond the Treasure Valley and hide the 500kV line in the mountains?"
• "Can transmission lines be placed in hills or steep country?"
• "Stay away from ridgelines"
• "Don’t go too close to Emmett bench on north side"
• Don’t want a source substation in the view shed in Canyon County, especially in the Lake Lowell area"
• "Want to push the source and hub substations more to the west"
• "Can it go into Oregon, it’s not as developed?"
• "Run transmission lines through the draws so the whole valley does not see"

Bruce Corn reported on

1. Meetings with the BLM and the Malheur County Court, giving high praise to County Judge Dan Joyce for his efforts to inform Oregon officials and agencies on what is happening here.
2. County Planner Jon Beal asks for help in assembling soil classifications. If you have this information, please send it to him!
3. Contacts with Ron Wyden's aide, Wayne Kinney, and Scott Fairley, Gov. Kulongoski's office

Lisa Davis reports that Federal loans will not be made on property under transmission lines, rendering it much less valuable and in some cases, unsellable.

Jean and Roger Findley submitted a letter to state officials requesting that IP's Notice of Intent be rejected until it proposes alternate corridors as required by Oregon law, and include a cost benefit analysis of crossing agricultural land rather than uninhabited public land:

1. Option 1: Buchanan between John Day and Boardman. This is the longest of the 3 options but encourages moving the Sand Hollow substation to north of Payette, and crosses no private land. Cost cannot be the sole consideration for utility placement.


2. Option 2: PP&L line, Grassy Mt. south of Vale behind Bully Creek and Huntington Junction, then along the freeway


3. Option 3: Through Canyon County. Note: one of the attendees at our meeting, a resident of Canyon County under the less than two miles of corridor through Parma, is very upset and supports our citizens' group request that Option 1 route be followed.

The entire group voted unanimously to adopt the non-profit organization Bylaws written up by Vale Attorney Cliff Looney, and voted unanimously for the 20 Board of Directors

1. Roger and Jean Findley
2. Tom and Pat Phillips
3. Clint and Patty Kennington
4. Bruce Corn
5. Cliff Looney (our SOLE contact with Attorney Tom Nelson)
6. Farrell Larson
7. Evelyn Sayers
8. Gary Pearson
9. Ken Teramura
10. Grant Kitamura
11. Larry and Rod Price
12. Dick Davis
13. Stacey Trenkel
14. John Faw
15. Alice Ure
16. Eric White

Many thanks to all those who agreed (some with a little arm twisting) to serve. The Board of Directors will elect officers and open a bank account for our fund raising efforts, which went very well last night. If the more than 400 households under 30 miles of lines each contribute $100, we will have more than sufficient for legal and engineering counsel.

Bob Kemble, CPA for Pete Nichols is doing 501-C and non-profit status free of charge. Any monies not used will be prorated and returned.

Sue Kurth had prototype vinyl "No Entry for Purposes of Obtaining Easements/Rights-of-way" signs made up. We voted for the ones shaped like stopsigns (if ODOT allows us to use that shape). If not, large rectangular signs will be available for approx. $5.00 at our next meeting.

New petitions requesting Idaho Power to reroute these lines in alternate corridors are available for download and printing and signing. Please return these petitions at our next meeting.

Jean Findley and Evelyn Sayers have divided Malheur County into 8 areas for the purpose of informing ALL county residents of the proposed lines, since there are still those who don't know about it. Each group leader will have maps, letters to neighbors and the new petition asking IP to reroute its line. These eight areas are:

1. Oregon Slope
2. South of 20-26 near Lincoln. Pat Trenkel has volunteered for this group.
3. Vale west of the Butte
4. South of 20-26, north of Imperial. Donna Kemble has volunteered for this group.
5. North of Nyssa--Bruce Corn will take this.
6. South of Nyssa, south of Alberta and Owyhee Corners - Melda Schiemer will do part of this
7. North of Adrian-Jackass Flats - Pat Bashaw is helping here
8. South of Adrian. The Prices will take this one.

Please let Jean or Evelyn know if you can help with #1 or #3.

Action Plan:

• Next meeting: Monday, January 12, 7:00 p.m. at the Four Rivers Cultural Center in Ontario.
• Write more letters! More letters! More letters!
• Pass around and sign New Petitions requesting IP to reroute the transmission lines, return by next meeting
• Vinyl No Entry signs for sale at next meeting
• Keep writing those checks!! And THANK YOU!! Grant Kitamura is collecting checks, make out to Stop Idaho Power and send to Finance Committee, P.O. Box 9, Ontario, OR 97914

Energy Facility Siting Process

BLM and ODOE Seek Public Input on Proposed Transmission Line Project in Oregon and Idaho
http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/vale/newsroom/files/PRB2H.pdf

"Over 250 miles of the transmission line will traverse Oregon and so the project must undergo Oregon’s energy facility siting process. Energy facility developers, such as Idaho Power, must apply to Oregon Department of Energy- Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC) for a site certificate prior to construction. EFSC’s energy facility siting process is a consolidated permitting process which incorporates all local and state agency requirements, including land use requirements, into a single decision.

"The process has public participation components with public meetings at the beginning and formal public hearings toward the end of the process. To learn more about Oregon’s energy facility siting process visit the project Web site or the Oregon Department of Energy’s Web site at http://oregon.gov/ENERGY/SITING/index.shtml "

Monday Dec.15th Meeting Agenda

Our meeting scheduled for Monday December 15th, 7:00 pm at the Grange Boulevard on Hwy 20-26 will address the following:

1. Updates on the County Court meeting with Tom Stoops, energy facility siting manager for Oregon; meeting with Wayne Kinney, aide to Oregon Senator Ron Wyden; meetings in Durkee and Keating (also under the proposed corridor)with Idaho Power


2. Non-profit bylaws, election of board of directors and officers (bring nominations if you have any)


3. Attorney Tom Nelson, Energy and Utility Law, retained


4. Additional reports, i.e. Jon Beal, Malheur County Planning, working on soil classifications and the designation of historic and/or scenic sites; our nonprofit "Group in Standing" requests the BLM to evaluate ALL corridors; County Court's request for Jim Johnson of the Oregon Department of Agriculture visit our corridor route


5. New petition asking Idaho Power to reroute its B2H transmission line (also downloadable under "Document links") Let's flood them with signatures!


6. UPDATED Addresses and bullet point handouts for PERSONAL letters to state representatives and agencies. Let them know how you, your family, your business, income, health, and your community will be affected if these lines are not rerouted. Be specific.
   
7. Vinyl NO TRESPASSING signs will be available to order (and to raise money)


8. Keep making donations! Pay now or lose it later.

Our next meetings will hopefully be held in the FRCC or in the Nyssa auditorium.

Attorney Tom Nelson, Energy and Utility Law

Our non-profit organization is in the process of hiring Tom Nelson, an attorney recommended by several different sources. He sat down with the legal committee and answered all questions, submitted a detailed description of his background and casework, and is licensed in Oregon, Washington and Idaho.

Tom has already been helpful in planning the overall strategy and assisting in preparing as strong a case as possible for the residents of Malheur County who face a certain decrease in productivity and income if the transmission corridor is not rerouted.

UPDATE The chair of our legal committee, Cliff Looney, will be the single contact person with Tom. Please let Cliff know if you have legal questions.

More from the TVEP

Here's page 48 of Idaho Power's Treasure Valley Electrical Plan:

"With the following limitations, the (38 member, all-Idaho siting) committee agreed to this proposition,

• Don’t run 230,000-Volt transmission through downtown Eagle
• Stay away from Boise Bench area
• Pierce Park/Dry Creek is too dense
• Avoid State Street
• Avoid diagonal line routes
• Keep lines out of view sheds
• Don’t run lines through cities unless in industrial areas
• Use existing transmission ROWs
• Use transportation corridors."

You will note these limitations apply to 230 kV lines, and that the 38 member, all-Idaho siting committee took pains to avoid stepping on valuable Idaho real estate.

When it comes to 500kV lines, however, the 38 member, all-Idaho siting committee threw out its own recomendations to "avoid diagonal line routes, keep lines out of view sheds, use existing transmission ROWs, and use transportation corridors" when it comes to Malheur County (not in Idaho's back yard!).

This is where responsible Oregon legislators, regulators and representatives need to stand up for the interests of Malheur County residents.

Idaho Power's 500 kV Freight Train

From Idaho Power's Treasure Valley Electrical Plan:

page 22: Compares 500,000 volt (500 kV) lines to a "freeway through a major city or maybe a freight train." Answer: yes, this freeway or freight train should definitely be put across prime farmland.

page 33: "How could Idaho Power encourage community support of DSM (Demand Side Management)?" Answer: Demand it be put through the communities that will directly benefit. OR demand it be routed through designated utility corridors on public lands.

page 38: ". . . Reinforcement alternatives have been identified that can delay major new transmission into the valley: (including) Tie into the PacifiCorp 500,000 Volt transmission line to the south." Answer: Why does it make sense to construct more 500 kV line corridors than necessary? Why should PacifiCorps' lines be ignored? Maybe we ought to rethink this fast track thing.

page 52: "Transmission line Right of Ways can be obtained using:

• Easement: gives Idaho Power the right to use the land for a specific purpose (for those who simply want to give up their property rights for 25 cents on the dollar)
• Fee Title Ownership: Idaho Power owns the property, receiving title through a deed (but why pay, when you can condemn it?)
• Permit: Idaho Power makes application to the appropriate agency for a permit to place the necessary facilities across public lands (Why doesn't Idaho Power pursue this one?)
• Eminent Domain or Condemnation: Idaho Power may exercise its right under state law to take the easement or property through court action." (In the state of Oregon, the right to take easement through domain or condemnation comes only through Oregon state agencies. )

There is no money to be made by giving easements. A corridor through productive land will reduce productivity and land values, leading to less county and state tax revenue and reduced employment. This is not only bad for farmers in Malheur County but for all those who depend upon the farm economy, including neighbors of farmers.

page 53: "Are there circumstances that make certain line routes more favorable than others? Cost, Hazards, and Obstructions. Are there environmental or regulatory reasons that certain line routes won't work?" Answer: Yes, there will be costs, hazards and obstructions if Idaho Power pursues no alternative to routing these lines over prime Malheur County farmland.

Write to your state agencies and tell them how you feel about Idaho Power running its electrical freight train through Exclusive Farm Use property!

$5 Billion Canada to California Project

"PacifiCorp, which is controlled by legendary investor Warren Buffett, is proposing a 500-kV line roughly between the Captain Jack substation near the California-Oregon border and the Hemingway substation." - "$5 billion power line proposed," from Spokane Journal of Business, http://www.spokanejournal.com/ (subscriber only)

Original map draft crossing Idaho south of Sand Hollow.

Bruce Penn took this 3-tower picture near Brothers on Hwy 20, 30 miles east of Bend. The drag on some of these lines along a hillside can be as close as 20 feet off the ground.

You didn't know you were part of a $5 billion planned transmission project from Canada to California? You didn't know there could be 3 (count 'em THREE) 12-story transmission towers on this right of way across your property?

Wind Watch Energy News - ". . . PG&E’s line, which would continue south to Boardman en route to California, would give Avista a new pathway to move to its own service territory power generated at its Coyote Springs plant, which is near Boardman, Kopczynski says. It’s paying others to transmit that power now. "

http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/03/21/5-billion-power-line-proposed/

The maps above (click for a larger map) are the overall Northwest routes and the general route planned for Idaho Power's leg of the line. Notice how they've "fine tuned" it since then to include Malheur County just so we wouldn't feel left out!

You can look at the Powerpoint Presentation for this project HERE including the above maps.

Wayne Kinney, aide to Senator Ron Wyden

Several of us had an illuminating lunch Wednesday with Wayne Kinney, a former Argus reporter and aide to Senator Wyden. Wayne was very interested in what we are doing and although Sen. Wyden doesn't have jurisdiction over state matters, he certainly has clout and promises to use his influence in our behalf. We sent a notebook of materials back with Wayne.

Wayne looked at the maps and wondered why Idaho Power didn't want to use any of the alternate utility corridors, especially the ones through Idaho. Using an alternate corridor seems the prudent thing to do in order to avoid dealing with Oregon's energy regulatory agencies, which do not have a trouble-free history with Idaho Power in eastern Oregon counties.

We told Wayne that we are hoping to encourage Idaho Power to diligently consider alternate corridors, since Oregon's BLM has gone through the work of designating a corridor for the very purpose of transmission lines, unless, of course, Idaho's public utilities can preferably be sited on Idaho's own public lands.

Monday, Dec. 15th Meeting

UPDATE - Because of scheduling conflicts, our next general meeting will be Monday, December 15th, 7:00 p.m. at the Boulevard Grange on Hwy 20-26. Please bring your neighbors, since the outcome of what happens will affect northeastern Malheur County for years to come.

At the meeting we will be brought up to date on what has been happening to further our cause, and what steps must be taken next.

Write Personal Letters to the Energy Siting Council
According to one well-placed source, writing personal letters about how 120-190 ft. transmission towers on 40-ft concrete pads through some of Oregon's best farm country will affect your family, your living and your future, will be among the most effective things you can do. You can use information on this blog, including letters, printed maps, points of concern, and quotes from blog posts to add to your letters.

The address is:

Energy Siting Council
Oregon Department of Energy
625 Marion St. NE
Salem, OR 97301-3737

The down economy

Dec. 1, Magic Valley Times-News . . . The country's financial turbulence hasn't harmed several large-scale energy projects in southern Idaho, developers of those projects said last week.

If anything, the economy has just led Idaho Power Co. officials to be a little more cautious about large-scale plans to build new interstate transmission lines and a natural gas plant over the next few years, said Echo Chadwick, the utility's director of corporate communications.

None of the company's development plans have changed so far, Chadwick said. But officials are keeping a close eye on the markets and regularly examining their plans to see what adjustments, if any, need to be made. "If people aren't loaning money -- it certainly does impact our ability to be effective," said Chadwick, adding that the company is working to keep its credit rating strong.

Part of the problem, she said, is that changes might be hard to make. The utility's grid is maxing out, and the company has to find new transmission or generation sources to keep serving its customers. And those customers are asked to help pay for it . . .

. . . Boise-based Windland Inc. hasn't been able to build its planned 200-megawatt project on Cotterel Mountain in Cassia County. But its delay is more due to a lack of interest from Idaho Power, the likely customer for its power, said Mike Heckler, Windland director of marketing and development.

http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2008/12/01/news/local_state/149836.txt

(Am I the only one seeing a possible solution to Idaho Power's generation sources problem here?)

Insufficient Corridor Analysis

UPDATE OAR 345-020-0011 Notice of Intent (d) Exhibit D.

"If the proposed energy facility is a pipeline or a transmission line or has, as a related or supporting facility, a transmission line or pipeline that, by itself, is an energy facility under the definition in ORS 469.300, identification of at least two proposed corridors, as defined in OAR 345-001-0010, or identification of a single proposed corridor with an explanation of why alternate corridors are unlikely to better meet the applicant's needs and satisfy the Council's standards. The applicant shall include an explanation of the basis for selecting the proposed corridor(s) and, for each proposed corridor, the information described in subsections (e), (g), (i), (j), (k), (n) and (p) that is available from existing maps, aerial photographs, and a search of readily available literature."

https://portal.sos.state.or.us/division/archives/rules/OARs_300/OAR_345/345_020.html

In its 247-page Notice of Intent document, downloadable HERE (12 MB pdf), Idaho Power initially evaluated three corridors and then “determined that two proposed corridors are not warranted,” even though it has not met the burden of evidence that crossing EFU ground is necessary in order to provide the service.

You will remember ORS 215.275 establishes a burden of evidence that in order to route a transmission line across Exclusive Farm Use land, the line “MUST be sited in an exclusive farm use zone IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE,” a burden which is clearly not met in Idaho Power’s single planned corridor.

Idaho Power's "evaluation" consists of the excuses that the alternate corridor is longer, covers rougher topography, (they'd rather make access roads on well-tended farmland, you see) and would require more right of way roads. Nowhere is there mentioned the more likely reasons: it would cost more (not a viable excuse, according to ORS 215.275), it would cross private Idaho land instead of private Oregon land, and possibly because they would rather try to placate a few irate farmers than environmentalists, although the 500kV lines already built through public land in Oregon are operating without complaint.

And nowhere is there the complete and detailed analysis required by Oregon statute for alternative corridors to EFU siting. UPDATE Evidently there is a detailed analysis which we haven't yet seen. We're holding our breaths in anticipation!

The Oregon Department of Energy should not issue any Project Order until there is extensive and detailed data supporting at least two corridors as required by law when dealing with Exclusive Farm Use land.

DIY when it comes to IP talking to the BLM

Do It Yourself--Jean Findley reports that even though our citizens' group was promised by Idaho Power in their November 12 meeting that they would work with the BLM to "diligently consider the three alternate routes proposed by the concerned Citizens' Group," the BLM in Vale, which Idaho Power has not contacted since last spring, was surprised to find we even had a citizens' group. They know now.

UPDATE The BLM has extended its scoping process until December 22, so if you have more informed comments to make, send them along to the local Vale office: (Lucas Lucero in Las Vegas is only involved with the Environmental Impact Statement)

BLM Office
100 Oregon Street
Vale, OR 97918
(541) 473-6251

For the rest of Eric Hackett's clarifying letter (quoted above), you can download a copy of it HERE.

Plummeting Land Values

The following post addresses a question concerning Idaho Power wanting to avoid "more expensive" land in Idaho, or in fact, having a rationale for expanding its power grid. See for example: http://www.foreclosure.com/search/ID_027.html where you can find 1724 Canyon County properties in active foreclosure, preforeclosure, or bankruptcy (there are 35 in Malheur County). Also read the recent article in the Argus Observer: http://argusobserver.com/articles/2008/12/01/news/doc493424ea15d9b266492964.txt

Regarding land prices, the major farm selling real estate agents don't necessarily subscribe/participate to the Multiple Listing Service. The designation "Realtor" and the MLS are more oriented to the buying and selling of houses and residential property, although there are those of us who don't want to specialize in just one area of the real estate business. Moral of this story is that the MLS is going to give a somewhat slanted view of property values.

But here's what I found on the MLS. Time prohibits me from doing extensive research. From June 1, 2007 to Dec 2, 2007 there were 30 farm & ranch properties sold. They sold with an average price of $1,610,431. 28 of the 30 were Idaho properties, from as far east as Richfield, Rupert, and Buhl. The median price was $733,750.

Now, in 2008, from June 1 to Dec 2, 19 properties have sold, with the average sales price $868,299 and median $531,250, and of those 19 properties, 5 were in Oregon. I did not calculate the per acre price for 2007, but the 2008 price per acre is $3468.57. Also, upon reviewing the 19, the Idaho properties were in Murphy, Indian Valley, Rupert, Deary, Buhl, Twin Falls, Richfield. None were farms which sold around Caldwell, Nampa, Boise, Kuna, or Meridian.

We have HEARD, and it is only rumor, that farms from Boise, Caldwell, Nampa were selling in 2007 for $50,000, $75,000 even $100,000 per acre, all to developers who now are in dire straits. But, as I said before, the big farm-selling real estate agents around Caldwell, Nampa, and Meridian do not even participate in the MLS, and Idaho does not require that the sale price be put on the deed, so unless you are personally involved in the sale, there is no way to research the sale price of a property.

I did not research the price of small acreages, only properties over 80 acres. I did not give any consideration to "irrigated" vs "non-irrigated". Remember also, Idaho properties which haven't been split since late 1970's can be split, and it varies by county and even by town in the county. And also, the first acre is the most expensive, and the 2nd and the rest get a whole lot cheaper.

-Pat P.

Keep Your Camera Handy

Larry Meyer of the Argus contacted Eric Hackett at Idaho Power about the reported request for an easement for transmission lines. Eric denies that any of the three "right-of-way employees" were in this area in the past week. Our neighbor was able to describe the truck and the two men in detail, although Eric says they do not fit the description of Idaho Power's "right-of-way employees."

There seems to be no explanation for this, but it is still good practice to keep strangers off your property. If any show up and claim to be from Idaho Power, you might take a picture with a digital camera, ask for their ID, and give Eric Hackett a call at:

Eric Hackett, Idaho Power Company
1-208-388-5712