Feedback Sought on Possible Wind Power Line
A proposed wind power transmission line wants feedback on its proposed route. The Zephyr Power Transmission Project is an approximately 850-mile transmission line that would deliver wind energy generated in eastern Wyoming to population centers in the southwestern U.S. As proposed, the project will begin at the Pathfinder Wind Energy Development near Chugwater, cross portions of Colorado and Utah, and end up near the Eldorado Valley, just south of Las Vegas.
Duke America Transmission Company Spokeswoman Luella Dooley-Minet says the company is using a variety of means to solicit feedback from potentially impacted residents far in advance of the permitting process.
“We just really wanna encourage people to get involved, attend an open house if they can, we’ve got a toll free number that people can call on our website if they want to share a comment, or email or snail mail,” says Dooley-Minet, “We’ve got a twitter handle that we’ll be posting updates. And we’ve sent out thousands of invitations to potentially impacted landowners along the route.”
Dooley-Minet says the company is considering solutions to potential environmental concerns, such as possible impacts on desert tortoise, Utah prairie dog, and several types of grouse. Public meetings will begin on April 9th in a host of locations along the route.
Dooley-Minet says that 80% of the proposed route would use existing federal corridors and the remaining 20% is planned for future utility routes. Duke America Transmission Company plans to file a plan of development with BLM in 2013 with the aim of completing the regulatory process and beginning construction by 2017. They hope to have the lines up and running by 2020.