TVA Identifies Preferred Route for Transmission Line
September 26, 2006
FRANKLIN, Tenn. – TVA has identified a preferred route for a new transmission line that will connect to a new substation near I-65 being built by Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corp. The line and substation are needed to serve the growing community.
The 3.5-mile line will connect an existing TVA transmission line (the Maury-East Franklin No. 2 line) to the substation, which is northeast of Interchange 61 on I-65 The preferred route of the new line runs south from the existing TVA line along the west side of the interstate. The route then crosses I-65 and runs parallel to the highway on the east side. As it nears the substation site, the route turns southeast to connect to the substation.
The preferred route is expected to have the fewest overall impacts of alternatives studied. The majority of the route parallels I-65.
The route affects approximately 22 property tracts. TVA will work with property owners to obtain 100-foot easements for construction, operation and maintenance of the line. Property owners are compensated for the easement at fair market value and retain possession of the property.
The new Goose Creek development, which is projected to add more than 90 megawatts of electrical load over the next 10 years, cannot be served from existing MTEMC substations.
TVA is expected to begin acquiring easements for the transmission right-of-way during the summer of 2007. Construction is scheduled to begin during the spring of 2008 with project completion scheduled for June 2008.
TVA’s decision follows the receipt and evaluation of public input on 17 alternative route segments. TVA’s objective in determining a route is to select the best overall path, weighing the same environmental, land use, engineering and cost considerations to ensure that overall project impacts, as well as impacts to the community at large, are minimized.
A map of the project and additional information are available.
TVA is the nation’s largest public power provider and is completely self-financed. TVA provides power to large industries and 158 power distributors that serve approximately 8.6 million consumers in seven southeastern states. TVA also manages the Tennessee River and its tributaries to provide multiple benefits, including flood damage reduction, navigation, water quality and recreation.
Media Contact
Myra Ireland, (423) 751-7153
TVA News Bureau, Knoxville, (865) 632-6000
