TVA identifies preferred route for transmission line

TVA 161-kV transmission line will span 34.8 miles from Red Hills Substation to Central EPA's upgraded Kosciusko and Leake-Singleton, improving grid reliability amid NEPA review, right-of-way easements, and a 2017-2018 construction schedule.

The Tennessee Valley Authority has identified a preferred route for a new transmission line that will increase power reliability for areas served by Central Electric Power Association and 4-County Electric Power Association.

TVA plans to build 34.8 miles of 161-kilovolt transmission line from the Red Hills Substation to Central EPA’s upgraded Kosciusko Substation and would then continue to Leake-Singleton. This preferred route is a combination of route segments that were proposed at two open houses in September 2014.

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

TVA will meet with property owners including local residents along the proposed right of way to obtain easements for construction, operation and maintenance of the line. The project will require new right of way. 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 2015 and start acquiring easements in fall 2016. Construction is scheduled to begin in fall 2017 and, similar to a transmission project upgrade elsewhere, be completed by fall 2018. A map of the project and additional information are available on the TVA website at www.tva.com/transmissionprojects.

TVA is a corporate agency of the United States that provides electricity for business customers and local power companies such as a Virginia utility serving nine million people in parts of seven southeastern states. TVA receives no taxpayer funding, deriving virtually all of its revenues from sales of electricity.

In addition to operating and investing its revenues in its electric system, TVA provides flood control, navigation and land management for the Tennessee River system and assists local power companies and state and local governments with economic development and job creation.

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