Appalachian Power plans to construct approximately six miles of 138-kilovolt (kV) transmission line to protect the electric service in the greater Roanoke Valley. The project is needed to meet growing electrical demands and to prevent overloading facilities that serve several hundred thousand customers. The line will be constructed using single pole structures. The total project is estimated to cost about $15 million.
Why are these new facilities needed?
There are essentially six transmission lines that serve the Roanoke Valley. They serve customers from major substation facilities at Cloverdale (Cloverdale Substation) and Dixie Caverns (Matt Funk Substation). Customer demands for electricity have continued to increase steadily since the last transmission line was built in the valley in 1994. Current forecasts indicate that by 2010 some of this equipment will be loaded at or beyond its rated capacity. The overloading conditions put the valley’s electric grid in violation of North American Electric Reliability Corporation guidelines.
How many customers are served by these overloaded facilities?
Since the transmission reinforcement is designed to prevent failure, and perhaps cascading power outages, hundreds of thousands of customers will have their electric supply protected with the completion of this project.
How will these facilities increase electric reliability?
The new line will help prevent overloads of critical electric facilities and provide adequate capacity levels for future growth and development in the area. Without this construction, electric demand will outpace the electric infrastructure jeopardizing the reliability of electric service for customers in the area. Specifically, the new facilities will keep the company’s equipment operating within its designed limitations. It will also provide alternate ways to serve customers during power outages, and allow scheduled station maintenance without interrupting service to customers in the area.
How will the line route be chosen?
Appalachian Power has developed preliminary 500-foot-wide proposed corridors for the Huntington Court-Roanoke Project. These preliminary corridors will be reviewed by the public, local government, and state and federal agencies. Ultimately, the company will develop a preferred 500-foot wide corridor (or corridors), and a preferred 80 foot wide right of way within that corridor and take that to its regulators, the Virginia State Corporation Commission. Throughout the state process, and by working with property owners, Appalachian will identify the best 80 foot-wide right of way for the power line.
What kind of structures will the line use?
Appalachian will use single pole structures on the new Huntington Court-Roanoke Project. The average pole height will be about 100 feet tall.
What is the timeline for the line?
Right of way acquisition and line design are scheduled for the end of 2009. Right of way clearing and construction of the line is expected to begin in early 2010, and the line is scheduled to be complete by mid-year 2011.
How much will the line cost?
We estimate the total project will cost approximately $15 million.
What will be the environmental impact of this line?
A 138kV line requires a relatively small structure footprint and an 80 ft. right-of-way. The disturbance caused by this urban project will be limited to moderate tree removal and other line-clearing activities.
Can the line be built underground?
Appalachian Power does not support the practice of putting electric transmission lines underground, except when extenuating circumstances exist, and then, only for a short distance. Building transmission lines underground cause problems and delayed repairs when equipment fails. With overhead facilities, crews can see problems, assess problems and make repairs quickly. When equipment is buried the response time, and in turn the reliability of the equipment suffer. In addition to being less reliable than overhead power lines, underground facilities are much more expensive to build. Utility commissions typically only allow utilities to recoup costs of overhead construction.
Are there health risks from exposure to magnetic fields near high voltage power lines?
All electrical equipment carrying a current generates electric and magnetic fields (EMF). This pertains as much to the electrical appliances in our homes as it does to power lines, power stations and their related equipment. Questions have been raised over the past 20 years about a possible link between exposure to EMF and certain kinds of health effects. While numerous studies have been conducted, as a body of work they have failed to link EMF to specific health effects. More recent studies have cast further doubt on the hypothesized link.
Where can I get more information?
Additional information about the Huntington Court-Roanoke Project is available on-line at AppalachianPower.com, or you can contact Appalachian Power at 1-800-956-4237.
