MACON, Miss. ― The Tennessee Valley Authority has identified a preferred route for a new transmission line that would provide for growing electrical load and increase power reliability in the Macon, Scooba, and DeKalb, Mississippi areas.

TVA plans to build 32.8 miles of 161-kilovolt transmission line beginning at TVA’s existing South Macon 161-kilovolt switching station. The line would extend southeast toward Scooba and then west to TVA’s existing DeKalb 161-kilovolt substation. The new line would be built using primarily steel, single-pole structures on existing and new 100-foot-wide right of way. Where necessary, 2-pole and 3-pole structures will be used, and existing 75-foot-wide right of way will be widened to 100 feet.

A map of the project and additional information about the preferred route is available on the TVA website at www.tva.com/transmissionprojects.  

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

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 summer to fall 2021 and start acquiring easements in summer to fall 2022. Construction is scheduled to begin in winter 2022-2023 and be completed in fall 2026.

For more information about TVA and its 87-year mission of service to the Tennessee Valley, click here.