Commerce Park II (St. Elmo), Kentucky (Christian and Todd Counties)

Update – August 2023

TVA has identified the preferred location for transmission improvements that would provide power for growing load and increase power reliability in the Hopkinsville, Kentucky area. 

TVA evaluated each route using social, engineering, and environmental factors.  Information sources included available data, aerial photography, limited onsite reviews, public review and comment, and property owner input.  Based on public input and evaluation, the preferred route is expected to have the least overall project impacts of the alternatives.

TVA will build the St. Elmo Switching Station on Commerce Park II Industrial Park property and a total of 9.93 miles of double-circuit power line to provide power to the new station.  TVA will also obtain about 10-12 acres at the site to ultimately accommodate 5 bays at the switching station. 

TVA’s new 9.93-mile line would begin at a loop point between Structures 72 and 73 on TVA’s Paradise-Clarksville 161-kilovolt Transmission Line.  It will then head west and northwest to a point adjacent to the existing Edgoten-Casky 161-kilovolt Transmission Line and then extend north parallel to this line until it reaches the industrial park property.  The line will then continue north across the property to the new St. Elmo Switching Station.

The preferred route was initially presented as Route 6 consisting of Segments 1, 3, 6, and 12 as presented online at the virtual open house from April 6 through May 8, 2023. 

The new line will be built using primarily double-pole, steel structures centered on new 100-foot-wide right of way.

Surveys of the right of way are scheduled to begin in fall 2023.

Easement purchases are scheduled to begin in winter 2024-2025.

Construction is scheduled to begin in fall 2025.

The project is scheduled to be in service in spring 2026.

The National Environmental Policy Act review is pending. 

Background

TVA is considering improvements to its transmission system that would provide power for growing load and increase power reliability in the Hopkinsville, Kentucky area.

This area is served by Pennyrile Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation (RECC).  Growing electrical load at the Commerce Park II industrial complex will require additional capacity for the Hopkinsville, Kentucky area.

TVA plans to build the Commerce Park II Switching Station within the boundary of the new Commerce Park II industrial complex.  The station will be located east of Structure 78 of the Edgoten-Casky 161-kilovolt Transmission Line.  TVA will also obtain enough land (about 10‑12 acres) to ultimately accommodate 5 bays at the switching station.

TVA’s existing Edgoten-Casky and Paradise-Clarksville 161-kilovolt Transmission Lines will be connected to the new switching station.

An approximately 200-foot-long, 161-kilovolt, double-circuit slack span line would be built from our Edgoten-Casky 161-kilovolt Transmission Line, beginning near Structure 78 within the site boundary and extending east to the new switching station.  A slack span is a portion of transmission line that is used to transition into a switching station.

A 10-mile-long, 161-kV double-circuit line would be built from our Paradise-Clarksville 161-kV Transmission Line, beginning at one of the following tap/connection point alternatives and extending west to the new switching station.

• The first and northern-most alternative would begin between Structures 86 and 87.
• The second alternative would begin between Structures 79 and 80.
• The third alternative would begin between Structures 77 and 78.
• The fourth and southern-most alternative would begin between Structures 72 and 73.
  

There are 1 switching station site, 1 tap point for the Edgoten-Casky line, 4 tap points for Paradise-Clarksville line, and a total of 13 segments under consideration for the routes of the new power lines.  There is 1 alternative route from the Edgoten-Casky 161-kilovolt Transmission Line to the new switching station.  There are 6 alternative routes from the Paradise-Clarksville 161-kilovolt Transmission Line to the new switching station.

The lines would be built using primarily double-pole, steel structures centered on new 100-foot-wide right of way.  The scheduled completion date for this project is summer 2025.

Property owners near and along the alternative transmission line segments have been invited to a virtual open house by mail – including about 63 property owners representing about 100 parcels.

The virtual open house is available from April 6 through May 8, 2023 at  tvavirtual.com/commercepark2

TVA held a virtual open house online from April 6 through May 8, 2023, to present the project.  Within this 30-day comment period, property owners and members of the public were able to submit questions and comments online, in writing, or by telephone.

(Dates are subject to change. Unexpected issues may arise, resulting in the need to adjust the schedule.)