Notice of Intent and Scoping Meeting - DOE

[Carroll Birge]

DOE is preparing an EIS for a 600 kv transmission line over Cadron Creek. Here is the link to specifics: http://www.plainsandeasterneis.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. Please look and show your concerns.

[prophet]

i got a mail flyer that mentioned this is for moving renewable (wind?) power to market but dont know for sure

[GN YAKN]

We also received a notice in the mail about upcoming meetings in our area. I saw a news report where there have been two in Van Buren already.

DOE is going to do an EIS for a proposed project to put the overhead 600kilovolt line from Oklahoma panhandle across Okrahoma and Arkansas into Tennessee.

Could affect a bunch of folks, especially if the power line goes through your property and you get a nice big metal tower in your yard.

Love alternative energy and am thrilled to see some progress in this area after decades of no national energy policy pushing alternative sources, so, don't want to be a NIMBY but I guess I'll attend a meeting to get edubicated. Got to see if I may have a tower in my back yard!

Dave

[GN YAKN]

Checked out the map and it looks like it won't go through my property but I may be able to look out the window to the south about 1/4 mile and see it. Looks like over here it will be right at the base of the Ozark foothills.

[Richard]

Holy Cow! Two lines will cut right across Quapaw Area Council's camp at Damascus. Then it continues east and goes directly through Kim and Roger's house.

[GN YAKN]

Been mulling this over and have a question. Why would you stretch a new wire 700 miles from wind farms in Oklahoma to users in Tennessee? Why wouldn't it be more feasible to use the energy generated in one of the markets that you bypass along the way or use an existing grid?

It's like growing Strawberries in California and shipping them to Florida to make jam that you ship back to California to put on the shelf.

[Roger]

Been mulling this over and have a question. Why would you stretch a new wire 700 miles from wind farms in Oklahoma to users in Tennessee? Why wouldn't it be more feasible to use the energy generated in one of the markets that you bypass along the way or use an existing grid?

It's like growing Strawberries in California and shipping them to Florida to make jam that you ship back to California to put on the shelf.

Same question can be asked why they build a pipeline to ship the Fayettville Shale gas to the Northeast when it could be used in Arkansas.

And good try, Richard. It will be way south of us.

[Shep]

I am but a lowly electrical engineering student, which proves my complete lack of understanding of "the real world", but I'll take a stab at it...

Several things... First, is that it is still not possible to provide large-scale energy storage for electricity. This is one of the big reasons that renewables such as wind and solar haven't been more successful. We can't schedule their generation capacity like we can hydro, gas, nuclear and coal. This means that we need the ability to efficiently ship power away from wind farms and to large places that will use it, whenever we happen to get it.

Second, the power grid is much more like a highway system than a computer network. The system we have now is really pretty analogous to the US Highway system at the dawn of the interstate age. Large High-Voltage DC transmission systems are more efficient than currently existing Large HV AC systems once you get beyond a certain range (I've seen this in a presentation, I forget the number, but I want to say it is in the range of 700-800 miles). Currently, we don't have a large HV AC or DC system coming into Arkansas from the windfarm, so they would have to build something anyway. Trying to ship power from the wind farm to Arkansas, so that Arkansas Nuclear One can ship power to Memphis would be like shipping goods through multiple depots on the old US Highway system, whereas shipping electricity on the HVDC system straight to Eastern TN is like loading a truck and driving it down the interstate from an efficiency perspective.

Please notice that I am not making claims on whether we should do this, only sharing some of the technical info that relates to the HVDC line. I feel like this is a very similar issue to the wind turbines on mountains in the northeast. We have to balance the environmental impact from carbon with the environmental impact from clearing the land for the Towers, and give weight to aesthetic concerns as well.

Hope this helps,
Paul

[GN YAKN]

I get the lack of storage capacity and the inability to be able to schedule production to meet demand, but, the powerline system will still be passing through multiple major metropolitan areas where the power could be used to replace fossil fuel or nukuler (misspelling intentional ) electricity generation. Seems to me that the power could be used closer to the source and that would help make the project more economically feasible.

This will be interesting to follow. I'm all about alternative and sustainable energy and am thrilled that we are making progress in the field. I don't like being a NIMBY either, but, this literally could be in my back yard and I want to understand why it's necessary. I also wonder if the power carried on this line could be expanded or if each end-user market is going to have its own unique line?

Will see if they can sell me on the need at the scoping meeting, but, like most of those type of events that I've been to, I must remember to go with low expectations! I will go wearing camo and a tin foil hat so I won't look suspicious or out of place! :myday"

[hollohead]

I dont get why they don't just replace local power grids wherever they build the wind farms. Local power for local needs, slowly replacing wherever it is feasible and leaving existing grids where local power is not feasible? Feel sorry for folks whose property is affected.

[Shep]

To follow up my previous post, that would be like building you an 8-lane superhighway to get to your local store...

[DeBo]

Cleanline began looking for a route across the state about three years ago. They had several possibilities. One of them actually went across the heart of the Ozarks. They held several meetings with a number of different conservation organizations in this day and came up with several more viable options. They have chosen the best out of those possibilities. None of the options are perfect but this one is better than the rest. They were, at least, willing to work with us to find the best options. Thanks Steve for doing such a good job explaining the transmission line issues. That saves me a whole lot of time.

[BHK Okie]

If it is like an interstate & most of the major cities/population is along the interstate then wouldn't a route beside the interstate be the easiest , cheapest , most accessible route ? I know little to nothing about it & I'm sure common sense won't play a role but that just seems logical to me . It wouldn't offend anyone who isn't already offended by the interstate