Monthly Project Review March 2021

T&D World’s sister publication, TransmissionHub, presents a roundup of most of the transmission project news that occurred in March, including GridLiance proposing to develop the Silverado Renewables Connection project, which is designed to increase the amount of renewable energy delivered from southwest Nevada to California.

Below is an excerpt of the article — to read the complete article, visit TransmissionHub.

West

Starting in the West, Public Service Company of Colorado on March 2 filed an application with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission requesting a certificate of of public convenience and necessity (CPCN) to build Colorado’s Power Pathway 345-kV Transmission Project. The proposed 560-mile, double-circuit network transmission system between four existing substations and three new substations would connect the Front Range to areas of northeastern, eastern, and southeastern Colorado that are rich with renewable energy resource development potential, but do not currently have a backbone network transmission system that can integrate new clean energy resources needed to meet the state’s clean energy goals, the company said. The company said that it is recommending that the commission consider issuing a CPCN for the estimated $247m May Valley-Longhorn Extension under the March 2 application, should the commission desire that Public Service build and own the 345-kV transmission extension between the Lamar area and the Vilas area. As noted in March 2 direct testimony, the project’s total cost estimate is about $1.7bn — that is, about $1.4bn for the transmission line component of the project and an estimated $316m for the substation portion (including land costs).

Midwest/South

On March 2, American Electric Power’s (AEP) Indiana Michigan Power said that it plans to upgrade the electric transmission grid serving customers in northeast Fort Wayne through the Robison Park-Lincoln Transmission Line Rebuild Project. The project involves upgrading about eight miles of electric transmission line and improving the Trier substation near the intersection of Trier Road and Walden Run, the company said, adding that its representatives plan to rebuild the line in the existing right of way (ROW). Tracy Warner, corporate communications manager of I&M, on March 5 told TransmissionHub that the company does not yet have an estimated cost for the 138-kV rebuild. According to the project schedule, construction is slated for early 2022-spring 2023, with the facilities placed in service in spring 2023 and restoration activities complete in summer 2023.

Mid-Atlantic/East

Moving to Virginia, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) on March 9 issued recommendations for Central Virginia Electric Cooperative’s (CVEC) Gladstone to Tower Hill 138-kV Transmission Line Rebuild project, including that wetland and stream impacts should be avoided and minimized to the maximum extent practicable. As noted in the filing, CVEC is proposing to rebuild the Gladstone to Tower Hill transmission line and upgrade it from 46 kV to 138 kV, as well as perform minor upgrades to its Gladstone and Tower Hill substations. The DEQ added that the Gladstone Rebuild Project is located entirely within CVEC’s certified service territory, with about 3.1 miles of the 6.3-mile Gladstone to Tower Hill transmission line located in Nelson County, and about 3.2 miles in Appomattox County. As TransmissionHub reported, the proposed in-service date of the project is anticipated to be no later than December 2025, CVEC said in its February application, noting that it anticipates that it could have the project built and ready to be energized by December 2023. The estimated conceptual cost of the Gladstone Rebuild Project is about $8.8m, which includes about $5.2m for transmission-related work and about $3.6m for substation-related work (2021 dollars).