Tennessee Valley Authority
TVA Identifies Preferred Route for Burlison Transmission Line Project
May 11, 2010
COVINGTON, Tenn. — The Tennessee Valley Authority has identified a preferred route for a new transmission line that will provide power to Southwest Tennessee Electric Membership Cooperative Corp.’s proposed Burlison substation.
The proposed 7-mile line and substation are designed to ensure continued reliable power to a growing area served by equipment nearing capacity.
The 161-kilovolt transmission line would begin at TVA’s existing Shelby-Covington No. 1 161-kV line, extend west for about 6.5 miles, and then turn north to the new substation in Burlison. The route affects 36 parcels of land.
The preferred route is expected to have the smallest overall impact of several alternatives TVA studied. The appropriate National Environmental Policy Act review will be conducted.
TVA will meet with property owners along the new right-of-way sites to obtain 100-foot easements for construction, operation and maintenance of the line. Property owners will be compensated for the easements at fair market value and retain possession of their property.
TVA expects to begin acquiring easements in spring 2011, start construction in winter 2011 and complete the project in June 2012.
In selecting the best overall path, TVA weighed environmental, land use, engineering, cultural and cost factors for each proposal using available data, aerial photography, onsite visits, public comments and property owners’ input. The objective was to minimize the project’s overall impact, as well as impact to the community.
The preferred route consists of alternative segments 4, 6 and 8 as shown on a map with additional information on TVA’s website at www.tva.com/power/projects/.
The Tennessee Valley Authority, a corporation owned by the U.S. government, provides electricity for utility and business customers in most of Tennessee and parts of Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia – an area of 80,000 square miles with a population of 9 million. TVA operates 29 hydroelectric dams, 11 coal-fired power plants, three nuclear plants and 11 natural gas-fired power facilities and supplies up to 36,000 megawatts of electricity, delivered over 16,000 miles of high-voltage power lines. TVA also provides flood control, navigation, land management and recreation for the Tennessee River system and works with local utilities and state and local governments to promote economic development across the region. TVA, which makes no profits and receives no taxpayer money, is funded by sales of electricity to its customers. Electricity prices in TVA’s service territory are below the national average.
Media Contact
Mike Bradley, Knoxville (865) 632-8860
Media Relations, Knoxville (865) 632-6000