Dive Brief:
- The Arizona Corporation Commission this week approved a major transmission line project proposed by Salt River Project to connect and assist with economic growth in the state's East Valley.
- Plans call for SRP to build a new double circuit 230-kilovolt power line connecting its Knox Substation in Chandler, Ariz., to a new substation at Germann and Price Road.
- The project includes about five miles of transmission line. The ACC said the city of Chandler will pay the costs to bury a large portion of the line, based on concerns from residents over how the aesthetics of the project would impact their neighborhood.
Dive Insight:
According to Phoenix Business Journal, the Price Road area of Chandler, a suburb of Phoenix, is experiencing economic expansion and is home to Intel Corp. and other large businesses. The new transmission line will underpin that growth.
The Price Road Corridor will include 4.8 miles of a new overhead transmission line from the Knox Substation to the RS-27 substation and will run generally along the south side of the Loop 202 freeway and then adjacent to the Gila River Indian Community boundary north of the new substation site. A portion of the line will be placed underground.
In March, DRP said it was moving forward with the project, but with a new approach that reflected reduced load forecast and changes in the city of Chandler’s General Plan for the area.
“We are pleased to be able to move forward with this critical infrastructure that will ensure the continued growth of the Price Road Corridor area,” John Coggins, SRP senior director of power delivery, said in a statement.
The Arizona Power Plant and Line Siting Committee held public hearings in July and recommended approval of the Certificate of Environmental Compatibility application. The ACC granted approval on Sept. 12, the final step in the process.
SRP, which serves more than 1 million customers in Arizona's Maricopa and Pinal counties, can now begin construction on the project.
