Power Planning: Idaho Power Finds New Home for Pole Line Substation
By Sandy Miller, The Times-News, Twin Falls, Idaho
Jan. 25–TWIN FALLS — When Idaho Power wanted to build a new substation in an agriculture zone on the northwest corner of 2600 East and Pole Line Road, nearby residents said, “Not in my backyard.”
“There was quite a bit of opposition from people in the subdivision,” said Dan Olmstead, public relations director for Idaho Power.
In August, county planners sided with the homeowners and turned down Idaho Power’s request for a special permit.
“The reason was incompatibility with the surrounding neighborhood,” Olmstead said. “The commission felt we had some flexibility so we could locate further away from houses.”
Idaho Power decided to appeal the decision to county commissioners. Meanwhile, it went scouting for a new home for the Pole Line substation.
It found one, and it’s just a half-mile down the road from the original proposed location. The new substation will be located on the south side of Pole Line Road about a mile west of the Reformed Church.
“We’re finishing up the land purchase agreement with the owner of the property,” Olmstead said.
He wouldn’t say who owned the property.
The new substation will sit on an acre and a half and will be surrounded by a chain-link fence and a mixture of trees and shrubs.
In December, Twin Falls city planners approved Idaho Power’s request for a conditional-use permit to build the substation. But Idaho Power is still following through with its appeal to the county, which has two new commissioners on board. It’s just a matter of principle, Olmstead said.
“We are in the process of appealing that decision to the county commissioners based on reasons that were given,” he said. “We just didn’t feel it was justifiable criteria for a denial.”
The new location will provide power to, among other things, a new hospital, new high school, new subdivisions and probably a new hotel and convention center. The new substation will have a two-and-a-half-mile transmission line that will tap into an existing transmission line that runs up Washington Street.
There are four other substations in Twin Falls County — one on the corner of Harrison Street and Filer Avenue; one on the corner of Orchard and Eastland avenues; a substation near the fairgrounds in Filer; and a substation in the industrial area in south Twin Falls.
If all goes as planned, Idaho Power will break ground on the Pole Line substation as soon as the weather warms and will have it operating sometime in July.
“It’s already in the design phase,” Olmstead said.
Plans for Wood River Valley
Idaho Power also has some big plans for the Wood River Valley.
Blaine County is currently served by three major transmission lines — 138,000 volts each — one that runs from Hagerman to Hailey, one that runs from Shoshone to Picabo, Bellevue and Hailey, and another that runs from Hailey to Sun Valley.
But just like Twin Falls County, Blaine County is growing, and Idaho Power is looking at putting in more transmission lines.
“The growth in the valley and reliability in the northern end is causing us to look at the possibility of a third transmission line into Hailey, and a second transmission line from Hailey to Sun Valley,” Olmstead said.
A citizens advisory committee, made up of 19 people from both the public and private sectors, met last week to start forming a plan.
“We do not have a design or routes — that’s what we expect them to help us with,” Olmstead said.
Olmstead said the committee will hold about seven meetings and will give its recommendations to Idaho Power at the end of July.
Times-News Business Editor Sandy Miller can be reached at 735-3264 or by e-mail at smiller@magicvalley.com.
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Copyright (c) 2007, The Times-News, Twin Falls, Idaho
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.
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