Agricultural News
Department of Energy Moves Forward on Clean Line Transmission Project
Fri, 28 Dec 2012 10:01:23 CST
The U.S. Department of Energy is moving forward with the Plains and Eastern Clean Line Transmission Project. The department has published a notice of its intent to prepare an environmental impact statement for the approximately 700-mile overhead high voltage direct current transmission line project which will stretch from the Oklahoma Panhandle to western Tennessee. The highline will have the capacity to deliver approximately 3,500 megawatts primarily from renewable energy generation facilities in the Oklahoma Panhandle region to load-serving entities in the Mid- South and the Southeast via an interconnection with the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Prior to making a determination whether to participate in the proposed Clean Line Transmission project, DOE must fully evaluate the proposed project, in consultation with the Southwestern Power Administration, including reviewing the potential environmental impacts pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act.
Clean Line first identified several potential route corridors within a broad study area and subsequently refined the corridors using input from federal and state agencies, municipalities, non-governmental organizations, and thousands of stakeholders. Clean Line recently held 20 open house meetings in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Tennessee with over 600 participants in attendance to seek additional input on potential routes. Using this information, Clean Line identified and submitted to DOE several potential routes. DOE will analyze the potential routes along with a range of reasonable alternatives proposed in scoping comments and may expand or refine the range of alternatives based on those comments. Maps identifying the potential routes currently proposed for analysis are available on the EIS website at http://PlainsandEasternEIS.com.
In January and February 2013, DOE will hold 12 public scoping meetings in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Tennessee to provide the public with an opportunity to present comments, ask questions, and discuss the scope of the Plains & Eastern EIS with DOE and Clean Line representatives. DOE will announce the public scoping meetings via local news media, industry newsletters, and posting on the DOE NEPA website at http://energy.gov/nepa/public-comment-opportunities and on the Plains & Eastern EIS website at http://PlainsandEasternEIS.com at least 15 days prior to each meeting.
The project is currently expected to achieve commercial operation in 2017.
More information about the Plains & Eastern Clean Line is a available at http://www.plainsandeasterncleanline.com.
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