Designing a Transmission Project and Protecting the Environment

A utility transmission infrastructure project is a lot like planning a road, and like any road, it needs to handle peak traffic – the times when user demand for electricity is the highest. A new transmission line project is like adding a multi-lane highway connecting local utility companies, who are responsible for distributing power to businesses and neighborhoods along that highway route.

Finding the Best Route from Point A to B

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, but electricity moves from one point to another through wires – and that’s where planning and permitting come into play. As you can tell from the curves in most highways, a straight line isn’t always the best route – or even possible. The same goes for transmission lines.

Identifying Where We Can Build

Many times, the challenge is finding the route from point A to B across where we can build. A new transmission project requires a long, narrow ribbon of land where we can seek right-of-way from the varied property owners.

We also have to account for geographic obstacles – such as mountains or lakes – while finding routes that best fit the communities we serve.

Finding a Route with Minimal Impact on Natural Areas

We approach the entire planning and permitting process with a goal to protect the environment. It starts with our environmental experts identifying sensitive areas, and our engineers exploring innovative ways to have the lowest possible impact if we do have to cross any environmentally sensitive areas or habitats.

With this information in hand, our engineering and environmental teams put their heads together and map out a route that minimizes the environmental and community impact. It’s likely not the lowest cost or the quickest method – and that’s not our goal. Instead, we take our idea to the public and regulatory agencies with an open mind. As we’ve learned through projects we’ve completed across the country, environmental planning and permitting is an iterative process. Everyone and every step contribute toward the best solution.

Seeking Public Input

We regularly host public open houses and reach out to the local community early in the project. This gives us a chance to talk about our project at the concept stage, answer questions, and – most importantly – listen to their concerns. We want to hear from you: how might this project affect you, your appreciation of nature, your recreation opportunities, and your enjoyment of activities such as hunting and fishing?

We then head to the drawing board to begin the process of regulatory approvals and permits, which can take from several months to years depending on how many agencies and governments are involved and the complexity of the project.

Obtaining Permission 

If you’re driving and miss a reduced speed limit sign, a number of law enforcement agencies may bring that fact to your attention: city police, county sheriff, and state troopers. Likewise, a transmission project is planned and carried under the review of multiple federal, state, and local governments and agencies. Each may have a different regulatory responsibility. We need to work with each of them at various stages in the planning and permitting process.

Rinse and Repeat: the Iterative Process of Filings, Public Hearings, and Improvements

Unless you live on the International Space Station, almost everything you do – turning on a light switch, buying groceries, heating and cooling your home, or even walking in the woods – has some environmental impact. And since we can’t transfer electricity from a generator to your home without wires, transmission projects will have some environmental impact. We view permitting as a collaborative undertaking that helps us arrive at a solution that represents the best possible outcome for everyone. Here is an example of the steps in the process:

• After we’ve mapped our route, and sought and incorporated feedback from the public, our engineers and environmental experts start drawing up a plan. We typically discuss a preliminary plan with the regulatory agencies. First, they bring invaluable expertise. Second, getting their input before we start the planning process allows us to proactively address their concerns.
• Once we start the formal review process with a regulatory agency, it starts another round of public input. The public can review the plan and submit comments or questions after it is posted. We also present a plan at a public hearing, where both the regulatory agency and the public can ask questions or make suggestions.
• Quite often, we’ll go back to the drawing board with that input, revise the plan, and repeat the process until we obtain final approval.
• This process repeats itself with each agency, as each brings their unique expertise to the table. The review process typically moves from local to state to federal agencies.

That’s Not All, Folks

Once the project is fully permitted, we notify all the agencies that we’re starting construction. From the day we move the first shovel of dirt, we coordinate with everyone working on the project to ensure all the regulations that the agencies put in place are being followed. That includes protective measures and mitigation during construction – steps to minimize the environmental impact of the construction process itself. These can change with the seasons to accommodate such things as migrating fish or birds.

Often, construction takes less time than the planning and permitting process. The whole process from start to finish is important because we’re not only improving the reliability of the power grid, but we’re also doing it in a way that respects the environment and the communities where our projects are located.