TVA Narrows Alternatives for Transmission Upgrades in Middle Tennessee
February 15, 2006
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – TVA’s planning efforts to upgrade its transmission system in Middle Tennessee to meet growing power demand are now focused on an alternative that includes the construction of a new substation in southwest Rutherford County and 50 miles of transmission lines.
TVA has eliminated two of three alternatives that were being considered for the transmission system upgrade, which is needed to keep pace with the growing population in Murfreesboro, Franklin and the surrounding area.
The new 500-kilovolt substation would require about 60 acres. Some of the new power lines to be built under this alternative would use existing right of way that is owned by TVA but is not currently being used.
Alternatives being eliminated from further consideration are the expansion of the existing Pinhook Substation in Davidson County and construction of a new substation in northeast Williamson County. Both of these alternatives included upgrades to more than 100 miles of existing transmission lines.
New transmission lines that would be required under the Rutherford County alternative include about 27 miles of line on existing, but never used, TVA right-of-way from the Maury substation to Rutherford; 7 miles on vacant, TVA-owned right-of-way from Rutherford north to Almaville; 13 miles on new right-of-way from Rutherford to Christiana; and 2.5 miles on new right-of-way from Rutherford to the existing Murfreesboro-Triune-East Franklin transmission line. The 27-mile line would be 500 kilovolts, and the other lines would be 161 kilovolts.
The decision on the alternative solutions was made after reviewing public comments received during the first phase of the project, in addition to evaluating engineering, financial and environmental studies.
A public open house will be held in April to provide information and receive input on potential substation sites and transmission line routes for the Rutherford County alternative. Property owners whose land may be affected by the project will be notified by mail. A 30-day comment period will follow the open house.
A regional growth rate of more than 4 percent per year since 1990 has spurred an average increase in electrical use of 3.5 percent per year. At this rate, TVA’s transmission system in Middle Tennessee will be overloaded by 2010 unless improvements are made.
TVA identified three alternative solutions and presented them to the public last summer. A scoping document describing the results of public input and reasons for the decision on the Rutherford County alternative is available for public review. For more information, contact Chuck Nicholson, TVA, 400 West Summit Hill Drive (WT 8C), Knoxville, TN 37902, at (865) 632-3582 or by email at cpnicholson@tva.gov.
TVA is the nation’s largest public power producer, and is completely self-financed. TVA provides power to large industries and 158 power distributors that serve 8.6 million consumers in seven southeastern states.
Media Contact
Myra Ireland, Knoxville, (423) 751-7153
TVA News Bureau, Knoxville, (865) 632-6000
