HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Tennessee Valley Authority announced Monday that it has identified a preferred location for a new transmission line that would prepare for growth and increase power reliability in the Redstone Arsenal and Huntsville areas of Madison County.

TVA’s new power line will begin near where Linde Road intersects with the railroad tracks and extend east/northeast for approximately 2.7 miles. The line will then turn north to connect to Redstone Arsenal at the southwest corner of the base’s property. The new line would be less than 4 miles and built using primarily single-pole, steel structures on new 100-foot-wide right of way. The preferred route is one of the several that were proposed at an open house March 21, 2024, and a virtual open house held from March 21 to April 22, 2024.

The preferred route is expected to have the least impact on the area, based on public input from the in-person open house and virtual open house and additional evaluation of other factors, including social, environmental and engineering impacts. A National Environmental Policy Act review is also pending.

The project will utilize new right of way. TVA will meet with property owners along the proposed right of way to obtain easements for construction, operation, and maintenance of the line. Property owners would still own the property and be compensated for the easements at fair market value.

TVA is expected to begin surveys in fall 2024 and start acquiring easements in winter 2024-2025. Construction is scheduled to begin in summer 2026 and be completed in fall 2026. A map of the project and additional information are available on the TVA website at tva.com/transmissionprojects.

TVA reports the region is growing three times faster than the national average and the University of Tennessee’s Baker School projects our region’s population to grow 22% by 2050. To support this growth on a local level, TVA is investing $2.8 billion to strengthen the power grid across its service area to help ensure the agency can deliver clean energy to local power companies while maintaining our region’s energy security. As a clean energy leader, nearly 60% of TVA’s electricity is already carbon-free, and these power grid improvements will help ensure the agency can provide reliable, affordable, resilient, and sustainable.

To help homeowners and businesses save money on their energy bills, learn more about how TVA is offering rebates and incentives at energyright.com/rebates.