TVA Identifies Preferred Route for Transmission Line in Obion County

September 14, 2007

OBION, Tenn. – TVA has identified a preferred route for a new transmission line that will provide a reliable source of power to meet the growing demand for electricity in Obion County.

Industrial growth in the area includes a new ethanol grain processing plant.

The preferred route begins at TVA’s existing Union City-Tiptonville 161-kV transmission line, south of Troy and just west of Troy Polk Station Road. The route extends south to Gibson Electric Membership Corporation’s Polk Substation, northeast of Obion near the intersection of McDonnell Road and the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad line.

The three-mile route is expected to have the fewest overall impacts of the alternative routes studied by TVA.

The route affects approximately 12 tracts of property. TVA will work with property owners to obtain 100-foot easements for construction, operation and maintenance of the line. TVA will compensate property owners for the easements at fair market value, and the owners will retain possession of the property.

TVA plans to begin acquiring easements for the transmission right-of-way during the spring of 2008. Construction is also scheduled to begin next spring, and TVA expects to complete the project in August 2008.

TVA’s decision on the route follows the evaluation of public input on the alternative routes considered for the transmission line. In determining a route for the line, TVA selected the best overall path, weighing the same environmental, land use, engineering, cultural, and cost considerations for each route to ensure that project impacts overall and on the community 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-financing. TVA provides power to large industries and 158 power distributors that serve approximately 8.7 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.

Note to Editors

A listing of the CFC agencies where federal employees will be working on Sept. 14 can be found at www.chattanoogacfc.org/day_of_caring.html. Media representatives may visit the agencies for interviews, photos and video of work under way. Most work activities will take place from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Media Contact

Myra Ireland, Chattanooga, (423) 751-7153
TVA News Bureau, Knoxville, (865) 632-6000

TVA Newsroom