The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has identified a preferred location for a new transmission line for growth and increased power reliability in the Redstone Arsenal and Huntsville areas of Madison County.
The new power line will start from where Linde Road intersects with the railroad tracks and extend east/northeast for approximately 2.7 miles. The line will turn north to connect to Redstone Arsenal at the southwest corner of the base’s property. The line will be less than four miles and built using single-pole, steel structures on a 100-foot-wide right of way.
The preferred route is expected to have minimum 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 with a National Environmental Policy Act review still under process.
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.
While TVA is expected to begin surveys in fall 2024 and start acquiring easements in winter 2024-2025, construction is anticipated to initiate in summer 2026 and will be completed by fall 2026.
TVA stated that the region is growing three times faster than the national average and the University of Tennessee’s Baker School projects the region’s population to grow 22% by 2050. TVA is investing $2.8 billion to strengthen the power grid across its service area to ensure delivery of clean energy to local power companies while maintaining the region’s energy security.
