by Matthew Holloway | Sep 12, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
During its meeting on September 5th, the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC), led by Republican Commissioner Nick Myers, voted unanimously to approve a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility (CEC) allowing the Midtown Reliability Project of the Tucson Electric Power (TEP) company to move forward.
The project is a comprehensive upgrade to the now-overloaded 46 kV high-voltage transmission lines that run through midtown Tucson to a “more flexible, higher voltage” 138 kV monopole line above ground, according to a press release from the Commission.
A major controversy unfolded with some in Tucson calling upon the ACC to select a partially underground routing that would increase the cost of the project by millions of dollars and meet the expense through an end-user fee.
Commissioner Myers commented after the vote, “I understand why some Tucson residents would want this project constructed below ground. However, constructing the project below ground is not needed for safety, reliability or other utility operational reasons; therefore, it is not acceptable for all TEP customers to shoulder the $67 million cost for undergrounding the project.”
He added, “I am pleased the Commission approved this important grid-reliability project, while at the same time protecting TEP customers from unnecessary undergrounding expenses.”
In a corresponding press release, TEP explained, “The ACC voted unanimously today to authorize above-ground construction along TEP’s preferred route for the project, which primarily follows West Grant Road, North Park Avenue, Euclid Avenue and East 36th Street to link two TEP substations to the planned Vine Substation north of the University of Arizona campus. The ACC also authorized construction along an alternative route. An interactive map of the approved corridors can be viewed online.”
The utility added a timeframe saying, “With growing energy demands nearly reaching the capacity of existing, lower-voltage facilities, TEP will work to complete the transmission line and substation by the summer of 2027 to maintain service reliability.”
Myers’ fellow Republican, ACC Chairman Jim O’Connor, told KOLD, “A big kudo to the parties for finding a solution that will enable this project to move forward. This transmission project will further enhance reliability and modernize a critical portion of our electric grid in Tucson.”
The local outlet noted that a sticking point for the project has been pushback from the midtown community and many advocating for subterranean lines. In 2023, KOLD’s Jack Cooper wrote in a post to X that the opposition to the above-ground routing were “worried about property values and want the lines buried.” However, as the ACC noted in its release, “The Commission unanimously decided to protect ratepayers from that financial impact.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Terri Jo Neff | Dec 24, 2022 | News
By Terri Jo Neff |
The largest wind energy project in the Western Hemisphere is one step closer to generating electricity for 3 million Americans after Pattern Energy received the final approval it needs from Arizona officials for a transmission line that will carry electricity from the New Mexico wind project to Arizona.
The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) recently gave its unanimous approval to the Certificate of Environmental Compatibility application for Pattern Energy’s 550-mile SunZia Transmission project. The transmission line will be the conduit for Pattern Energy’s own 3,500MW SunZia Wind facility being constructed across three central New Mexico counties.
The ACC certificate represents the completion of the Arizona permitting process for the ±525 kV high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line that will enter Arizona from the east, running along the southern end of Graham and Greenlee counties before veering southwest through northern Cochise County.
The line will then head northwest through the far northeast corner of Pima County before heading on to Pinal County where the project ends. There are plans for a third party transmission line to then carry the electricity to the Palo Verde Hub.
Pattern Energy continues to work with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as well as local jurisdictions and stakeholders to finalize the remaining approvals needed to allow construction on the projects to begin on schedule in mid-2023. A Record of Decision from BLM is anticipated in April 2023, the key approval required prior to construction.
Those approvals will bring badly needed temporary and permanent jobs to Arizona, particularly in Cochise County and Pinal County. There will also be associated revenues such as for materials, equipment, fuel, and temporary housing.
“This project is of great economic benefit with more than 2,000 construction jobs and up to 150 permanent jobs, which for our rural communities is a lifeline,” said Mignonne Hollis, Executive Director of the Cochise County-based Arizona Regional Economic Development Foundation. “It’s vital for our county, which continues to see a decline in population, to have stable jobs come into our region.”
The SunZia wind and transmission project was first proposed in 2006 and received its first granted accepted rating from the Western Electricity Coordinating Council in 2011. Its first of many federal approvals came in 2015.
Since then, dozens of environmental and sustainability reviews have been conducted for the joint project, which will have a footprint in 13 counties between the two states.
Company officials say the combined SunZia Wind project and Transmission project comprise the largest renewable energy infrastructure project in U.S. history with a total privately-funded investment of more than $8 billion.
“The unanimous decision by the ACC to grant a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility for the SunZia Transmission line represents a major milestone towards the completion of this project,” said Mike Garland, CEO of Pattern Energy which owns the SunZia project. “Once complete these projects will combine to increase the reliability of the western grid, create good jobs, and bring millions of dollars in economic benefits to Arizona and New Mexico.”
The operational portfolio of California-based Pattern Energy includes 35 renewable energy facilities that use proven, best-in-class technology with an operating capacity of nearly 6,000 MW in the United States, Canada, Japan, and Mexico.
Terri Jo Neff is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or send her news tips here.
