Study on track for proposed high-voltage transmission line
EL CENTRO — Before construction on a new proposed high-voltage transmission line between Yuma and Imperial counties can proceed, planners need to determine what impact the project will have on the land being considered for construction.
The Imperial County Board of Supervisors voted 4 to 0 during its regular meeting Tuesday — Chairman Ray Castillo, District 5, was absent — to approve a memorandum of understanding between the county, the state of California, the Bureau of Land Management and North Gila Imperial Valley 2, LLC. The MOU paves the way for the preparation of an environmental impact statement for BLM and an environmental impact report for the county.
“This is stage one,” Jim Minnick, Imperial County planning director, told the supervisors during the meeting. “We haven’t even gotten an application yet on our end” requesting approval of construction.
Imperial County staff received the final draft version of the MOU for review on June 21. The MOU establishes an understanding between the entities involved and establishes their respective responsibilities, conditions and procedures during the preparation of the environmental impact study and subsequent report.
The study will be paid for entirely by NGIV2.
NGIV2 has proposed construction of a single-circuit, 500 kilovolt line or a double-circuit, 500-kilovolt line or a 500/230-kilovolt line between the existing North Gila Substation northeast of the city of Yuma and the existing Imperial Valley Substation located southwest of El Centro, according to the Board Agenda Fact Sheet. A cost estimate for the project was unavailable before press time Friday.
One of the circuits could loop in and out of a new substation that would be built adjacent to the existing Highline Substation also located in Imperial Valley.
The proposed route for the project would cross lands administered by the BLM within both Arizona and California, as well as private lands within Imperial County, at which point the power lines would run parallel to the existing Southwest Powerlink 500-kilovolt line. The line would be centered within a proposed right of way of about 200 feet.
About 45 percent of the proposed route would be on BLM lands, another 25 percent on Bureau of Reclamation lands and 30 percent on private lands.
The total length of the project would be between about 85 to 100 miles dependent upon the route selected.
Impact on area farmers
The Imperial County Farm Bureau is reaching out to farmers on private land that may be impacted by this project, said Brea Mohamed, ICFB executive director, via email Friday afternoon.
“The proposed transmission line will impact both landowners and tenants and could have significant impacts on technologies that are used now or may be used in the future on the affected lands, such as GPS or soil moisture transmitters,” she said, explaining that the electromagnetic field emanating from the high-voltage power lines could interfere with electronic devices. “While the project is in its early phase, we appreciate the outreach ITC has done so far, and we hope that every concern that our ag community has can be addressed.”
ITC is an electrical grid development company with a stake in NGIV2.
Population growth
Proponents of the project said the new line is needed to address population growth and increasing energy demands in the Southwest. The NGIV2 project would provide additional high-voltage transmission capacity throughout the region, and increase transfer capacity between Arizona and California.
At present, there are two 500-kilovolt lines west of the Imperial Valley Substation and two 500-kilovolt lines east of the North Gila Substation, but only one 500-kilovolt line between the two substations.
The major components of the project include transmission line facilities, substation facilities and communications facilities.
Structure heights would be between 150 to 200 feet, varying with terrain and associated span lengths. The average span length on farmlands in Imperial County would be about a quarter mile long, resulting in about four structures per mile of line.
Poles typically would be installed on drilled pier concrete foundations with anchor bolts between 15 and 30 feet deep and between 6 and 12 feet wide.
Final design characteristics would be determined in the detailed design phase of the project, which has yet to be completed.
Local jobs
Michael W. Kelley, District 4 supervisor, asked Minnick if the project would create jobs for local residents and construction companies if and when it nears the construction phase.
“When it comes to the construction stage, is there any assurances that Imperial County has that they will retain local workforce?” Kelley asked. “This is a big job, and I would like to see Imperial County’s workforce be available to do that.”
Minnick said that language could be inserted into a conditional use permit process later down the road that would require NGIV2 to prioritize a local workforce.
For more information about the project, visit https://www.ngiv2.com/