 | 9/13/2013 | 725-Mile Transmission Line for Renewable Energy Could Hatch Harm to Eagles |
ReWire reported Tuesday that a study by Fish and Wildlife Service biologists indicated that California and Wyoming were the two states with the greatest number of verifiable eagle deaths at wind turbines. That study also revealed eagle mortality in both states has risen sharply in the last few years, with all 31 Wyoming mortalities taking place since January 2009.
That's almost certainly a direct result of Wyoming's rapidly growing wind industry, which increased in generating capacity from less than 300 megawatts in 2008 to more than 1,400 by the end of 2011. But that growth slackened in 2012. Despite the approval last October of the 3,000-megawatt Chokecherry Sierra Madre wind facility south of Rawlins, the state added not a single new megawatt of wind capacity last year. That's because while Wyoming has a lot of wind power potential, it doesn't have enough transmission lines to get that power to markets.
But a major transmission project now being considered by the Bureau of Land Management and other agencies could change all that, bringing 3,000 megawatts of power from Wyoming to cities in California, Nevada, and Arizona -- and removing an obstacle to much greater expansion of wind turbines in Wyoming's eagle habitat.
The Anschutz Corporation's TransWest Express transmission project, slated for construction from 2014-2016, would be a 725-mile long, high voltage direct current transmission line running from Sinclair, Wyoming to Las Vegas, Nevada. There, it would connect to distribution grids running to cities in the swath of the southwest between Los Angeles and Phoenix.
The project's business plan explicitly focuses on bringing Wyoming wind energy to California and the southwest to help southwestern states meet oour renewable energy goals, despite the fact that at least here in California, we'd rather meet those goals in-state.
Though the BLM has taken on the lead agency role for the project, whose Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) is now just winding down its public comment period, the line could cross lands managed by a number of different owners and federal agencies, tribal lands, and a number of state-owned land parcels in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada. We say "could" cross because a number of alternative routes are described in the DEIS, some of the alternatives diverging by many miles.
Depending on which of the maze of alternative routes is eventually chosen the sheer scale of the project means that a staggering number of protected "Special Designation Areas" (SDAs) could be crossed or affected by the transmission project's 250-foot-wide right of way. They would include:
Dinosaur National Monument,
the Desert and Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuges
Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Sunrise Mountain Instant Study Area
The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, Overland Trail, Cherokee Trail, and
Old Spanish National Historic Trail
46 large roadless areas in the Ashley, Fishlake, Manti-La Sal, Uinta, and Dixie National Forests
The Oil Spring Mountain, White River Riparian, Badger Wash, Lower Green River, Lears Canyon, Nine Mile Canyon, San Rafael Canyon, Rock Art, Beaver Dam Slope, Mormon Mesa Ely, Beaver Dam Slope, Kane Springs, Mormon Mesa, Rainbow Gardens, and River Mountains Areas of Critical Environmental Concern
The Lower Green River, Muddy River, and Meadow Valley Wash Wild and Scenic Rivers
The Clover Mountains, Delamar Mountains, Arrow Canyon, and Black Mountain Wildernesses, along with the Oil Spring Mountain and Demaree Wilderness Study Areas and four proposed Forest Service wilderness areas
As you might expect, environmental activists have their eye on this immense project and are going over each alternative with a fine-toothed comb. They aren't necessarily opposed to the line. One now-defunct enviro group in the region famously campaigned for a similarly long transmission line in 2010. The thought of moving renewable energy across state lines is compelling to many enviros, even though the TransWest project could just as easily be used to carry power from Wyoming's also-burgeoning natural gas fracking fields.
But one of the project's most important potential effects doesn't show up in the DEIS at all: By providing a way to move up to 3,000 megawatts of electrical power of whatever flavor from central Wyoming to Southwestern cities, the Transwest Express would remove the main obstacle to greater wind development in Wyoming -- and that could have catastrophic effects on Wyoming's eagle populations.
Wyoming is turning out to be crucial habitat for eagle populations across an astonishingly wide stretch of western North America. The state has a fair number of eagles who are resident year-round, but it also plays host to wintering eagles from as far away as Alaska and the Canadian Far West. What's more, the state is a prime location for eagles from more southern territories who are fleeing their increasingly warm traditional territoriies in the wake of climate change.
With migrants from more than a thousand miles away regularly visiting Wyoming, removing the state's natural speed bump to wind development could make Wyoming a mortality sink for eagles across half a continent. Even though California turbines seem to kill more eagles, according to this week's study in the Journal of Raptor Research, Wyoming rivals our state with far fewer turbines installed. In fact, if you omit Altamont Pass from consideration as that study's authors did, Wyoming turbines would seem on average far deadlier to eagles than California's, killing about one eagle for every 40-45 megawatts of wind turbine generating capacity between 2009 and June 2012. California's equivalent figure for 2009 to June 2012, with 13 eagle deaths recorded (excluding Altamont) by about 4,973 megawatts' worth of turbines at the end of 2012 (again excluding Altamont), turns out to be one dead eagle recorded for every 380 or so megawatts of capacity.
Those are very rough figures, and they don't take into account growth in both states' wind turbine capacities between 2009 and 2012. Nor do they account for mortalities not verified in the Journal of Raptor Research study. But they do hint that Wyoming might be a horrible place to mix wind turbines and eagles. Which means that any project that artificially makes it more lucrative to put wind turbines in Wyoming may not be the best of ideas.
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| 9/5/2013 | Hearing set for proposed power line |
A massive power line project proposed to take wind-generated energy from Wyoming to markets in Nevada, Arizona and California might not pass through Washington County after all, according to a draft proposal under consideration with the Bureau of Land Management.
After nearly three years of environmental studies, the BLM is taking public comment on its draft environmental impact statement for the $3 billion Transwest Express Transmission Project. The 725-mile transmission line was originally proposed to pass through Washington County on its way through Utah, crossing east of Enterprise and directly west of Central before exiting Utah just north of the southwest corner of the state.
But the BLM’s proposed alternative is to move the line out of Utah’s western border before getting to Washington County, avoiding potential impacts to natural or cultural resources such as roadless parts of the Dixie National Forest and the Mountain Meadows National Historic Landmark.
“(The alternative) would follow a west-southwest course, crossing into Lincoln County, Nev., near Uvada, Utah, where it would turn to a general southerly direction,” according to the draft EIS.
The public has until Sept. 30 to comment on the document, which is available online. The BLM and Western Area Power Administration have hosted a series of public meetings, with two more scheduled, one tonight in Cedar City and another Friday in St. George.
Both meetings are slated for 4 to 7 p.m., at Cedar City Middle School in Cedar City and at the Jeffrey R. Holland Centennial Commons building at Dixie State University in St. George.
The BLM and Western are the federal agencies involved in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process for the project.
Residents from Washington County’s smaller northwestern communities said they were pleased to hear they would likely avoid having the project move through their area. They had cited wide-ranging concerns, including possible impacts to water supplies, wildlife, vegetation and viewscapes that could accompany the towers along the line, which would range from 100 to 180 feet in height.
“I have no doubt in my mind, if that thing came through it would make Central a ghost town,” Central resident Gordon Poppitt said.
The Transwest Express is part of an ambitious $9 billion plan to build the world’s largest wind farm at a 500-square-mile ranch in Wyoming and ship up to 3,000 megawatts of power of clean energy — enough to power 1.8 million homes — to fast-growing communities in the Southwest.
With permitting completed, construction on the transmission line is expected to start in 2014, according to the company’s website.
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| 8/15/2013 | BLM holding TransWest public hearings in Wyoming |
The Bureau of Land Management is holding public hearings on a proposed major transmission line to carry Wyoming wind power to the Southwest.
Discussion of the final route of the TransWest line was the main focus of a meeting Wednesday in Rawlins. Another hearing is scheduled Thursday in Baggs from 4 to 7 p.m.
TransWest, part of The Anschutz Corp., has proposed running the line from near Sinclair, Wyo., through Colorado and Utah to an area near Boulder City, Nev. Federal officials say a somewhat different route will minimize impacts to greater sage grouse and roadless areas.
The Rawlins Daily Times reports that the BLM is working to identify a corridor that can be used for other future power lines too to minimize their impact.
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| 7/5/2013 | Draft EIS Announced For TransWest Transmission Project |
Federal agencies have announced the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the TransWest Express Transmission Project, a regional electric transmission system proposed by TransWest Express LLC to help provide access to wind energy in Wyoming.
A notice of availability of the draft EIS from the U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Department of Energy has been published in the Federal Register, and a 90-day public comment period is under way.
According to the company, the TransWest project is a proposed 600 kV DC transmission line that will provide up to 3 GW of capacity. About two-thirds of TransWest’s 725-mile proposed route for the project is sited on federal land.
“Wyoming’s strong wind profile ideally complements both the renewable energy resources and the energy demand in California, Nevada and Arizona,” says Bill Miller, TransWest president and CEO. “By providing a direct link between these diverse regions, the TWE project will allow Desert Southwest utilities to access and use Wyoming wind to help balance grid operations, reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and provide competitively priced power to ratepayers.”
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| 10/5/2011 | Seven Transmission Projects Across 12 States Will Increase Grid Reliability and Integrate Renewable Energies |
Demonstrating its commitment to job creation and modernizing America’s infrastructure, the Obama Administration today announced it would accelerate the permitting and construction of seven proposed electric transmission lines. This move will speed the creation of thousands of construction and operations jobs while transforming the nation’s electric system into a modern, 21st century grid that is safer and more secure, and gives consumers more energy choices.
“The President wants to get America working again. He is committed to cutting red tape and making immediate investments to put people to work modernizing our roads, bridges, airports, and energy systems,” said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality. “Building a smarter electric grid will create thousands of American jobs and accelerate the growth of domestic clean energy industries translating into more energy choices and cost savings for American consumers, and a more secure energy future for our country.”
These projects will serve as pilot demonstrations of streamlined federal permitting and increased cooperation at the federal, state, and tribal levels. Project developers expect that the streamlined projects will increase grid capacity and create thousands of jobs in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, New Mexico, Nevada, Wyoming, Utah, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Oregon, and Wisconsin.
“These are the kinds of job-creating projects that the President wants to see across the country,” Sutley said. “The American Jobs Act would make immediate investments in infrastructure, putting hundreds of thousands of workers back on the job across the country. These investments would not only put people to work now, but also yield lasting benefits for the economy, increasing growth in the long run.”
Building electric transmission lines involves coordination among multiple federal, state, and tribal agencies subject to permitting, review, and consultation. Improving the overall quality and timeliness of these procedures enables the federal government to help expedite new transmission lines. Adding necessary transmission infrastructure will integrate renewable electricity sources into the grid, accommodate the growing number of electric vehicles on America’s roads, help avoid blackouts, restore power more quickly when outages occur, and reduce the need for new power plants.
“Transmission is a vital component of our nation’s energy portfolio, and these seven lines, when completed, will serve as important links across our country to increase our power grid’s capacity and reliability,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. “This is the kind of critical infrastructure we should be working together to advance in order to create jobs and move our nation toward energy independence.”
“To compete in the global economy, we need a modern electricity grid,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “An upgraded electricity grid will give consumers choices while promoting energy savings, increasing energy efficiency, and fostering the growth of renewable energy resources.”
“USDA’s collaboration with other agencies to build electric transmission will help to meet our country’s electric needs in the 21st century,” Vilsack said. “These infrastructure projects will also create jobs and opportunities that will strengthen our economy to benefit households and businesses throughout the country.”
"These projects will put Americans to work building the electricity grid of the future - one that allows for more electric vehicles on the road and homes and businesses powered by renewable energy," EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said. "This is yet another step forward in our efforts to build a 21st century energy sector in America that is cleaner, healthier and more sustainable."
“A modern, 21st century transmission grid that expands transmission capacity in an efficient, cost-effective manner is critical to ensuring that Americans will have reliable, reasonably priced electricity,” FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff said.
“It’s important that these pilot projects move forward quickly while getting the economic, cultural and sustainability benefits provided by historic preservation reviews,” said Milford Wayne Donaldson, FAIA, chairman, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. “The pilot project approach provides an efficient means to meet our respective agencies’ legislated responsibilities. They benefit the American people while creating a model to streamline future efforts. This is good government at work.”
In October of 2009, nine Federal entities including, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the Department of the Interior (DOI), the Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of Commerce, the Department of Defense, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Electric Regulatory Commission (FERC), and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, signed a Memorandum of Understanding increasing their coordination to expedite and simplify building of transmission lines on Federal lands.
Leveraging this interagency collaboration and expanding the scope of activity beyond Federal lands, the Administration’s recently formed Rapid Response Team for Transmission (RRTT), comprised of these same nine agencies, will accelerate responsible and informed deployment of these seven key transmission facilities by:
* Coordinating statutory permitting, review, and consultation schedules and processes among involved federal and state agencies as appropriate through Integrated Federal Planning,
* Applying a uniform and consistent approach to consultations with Tribal governments, and,
* Expeditiously resolving interagency conflicts and ensuring that all involved agencies are fully engaged and meeting schedules.
Crossing twelve states the RRTT’s seven selected pilot project transmission lines are as follows:
Boardman-Hemingway Line powering Oregon and Idaho:
The new 500 kilovolt (kV) transmission line proposed by Idaho Power would create an approximately 300 mile long, single-circuit electric transmission line from a proposed substation near Boardman, Oregon to the Hemingway Substation near Melba, Idaho—known as the Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Line Project or B2H Project. According to the developer of this project during peak construction, this project is estimated to create about 500 jobs in Idaho and Oregon.
Gateway West Project to bring new transmission across Wyoming and Idaho:
Jointly proposed by Idaho Power and Rocky Mountain Power, this project would add approximately 1,150 miles of new, high-voltage transmission lines between the Windstar Substation near Glenrock, Wyoming and the Hemingway Substation near Melba, Idaho. According to the developer of this project, during peak construction, it is estimated to create between 1,100 and 1,200 jobs.
Hampton-Rochester-La Crosse Line to power to Minnesota and Wisconsin:
This double- circuit capable 345 kV transmission line will run between a new substation near Hampton, Minnesota, a new substation north of Pine Island, Minnesota, and continue on to cross the Mississippi River near Alma, Wisconsin. A single circuit 345 kV line will be built in Wisconsin to a new substation in the La Crosse area. Two 161 kV lines will be built between the new substation near Pine Island and existing substations northwest and east of Rochester. According to the developer of this project, approximately 1,650 jobs will be created during peak construction.
Oregon to get additional transmission from Cascade Crossing Line:
Portland General Electric’s proposed Cascade Crossing Transmission Project includes approximately 210 miles of 500 kV transmission line from Boardman to Salem, Oregon—for the construction of four new substations, expansion of three existing substations, and upgrades to the existing transmission systems near Salem. According to the developer, Cascade Crossing is expected to create about 450 jobs during peak construction.
SunZia Transmission, LLC to bring power to New Mexico and Arizona:
SunZia Transmission, LLC plans to construct and operate up to two 500 kV transmission lines originating at a new substation in Lincoln County in the vicinity of Ancho, New Mexico, and terminating at the Pinal Central Substation in Pinal County near Coolidge, Arizona. According to the developer estimated job creation will be about 3,408 direct jobs during the construction period.
Susquehanna to Roseland Line brings new transmission to Pennsylvania and New Jersey:
PPL Electric Utilities (PPL) and Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) have proposed the Susquehanna-Roseland power line project which includes an approximately 145-mile long 500 kV transmission line from the Susquehanna Substation in Pennsylvania to the Roseland Substation in New Jersey, and several 500 – 230 kV substations in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Based on the current schedule for the environmental review, the project is expected to be in service in the spring of 2015. According to the project’s developer, over 2000 jobs will be created in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Transwest Express to stand-up transmission from Wyoming to Utah and Nevada:
TransWest Express LLC plans to construct and operate a more than 700 mile, 600 kV, transmission line which is estimated by the developer to create 1,035-1,550 direct jobs per year at peak construction. This project will facilitate the development of new wind projects in Wyoming.
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