The Tennessean-Potential TVA lines causing power struggle
The Tennessean
Published: April 25, 2006
Potential TVA lines causing power struggle
CHARLES BOOTH
STAFF WRITER
Neighbors want abandoned TVA right of way to stay that way
By CHARLES BOOTH
Staff Writer
COLLEGE GROVE COMMUNITY -- Back in the 1970s, the Tennessee Valley Authority purchased right of way through Rutherford, Williamson and Maury counties to run transmission lines to the Hartsville Nuclear Power Plant.
The plant was never built, and the lines never went up, but the right of way remained TVA property. Now, 30 years later, TVA is looking at using this land to run 500-kilovolt transmission lines from an existing substation in Maury County to a new substation in Rutherford County.
"The project basically is what we call a bulk system upgrade because of all the growth in that area," Myra Ireland, TVA spokeswoman, said. "The TVA needed additional power in the area, and to get that capacity we needed to build a new 500-kilovolt substation."
This project, known as the Rutherford-Williamson-Davidson Power Supply Improvement Project, would provide more power to Williamson and Rutherford counties, where electrical load has been growing by 3.5% per year. At that rate, by 2010 the current transmission system in Middle Tennessee couldn't handle the electrical load.
But area residents aren't happy that the lines are going up. And they especially aren't happy that the TVA is using right of way it bought in the 1970s.
"This is an issue that took a great many people in the community by surprise," Richard Davis, a Williamson County resident, said. He lives near the right of way, and said he didn't know until recently that the TVA owned this land.
"It was never used, and over time, the community has developed around this easement. It's pretty reasonable to assume it had been abandoned," he said. "The community developed differently over 30 years from how it might have developed had the power lines been in place. Farms have now been broken up into urban estates. People have built homes and made investments in and around this."
Ireland said the easement would have been on the deeds if anyone bought land in that area, so it wasn't a secret.
"One of the specifications was that no structure could be built in the rights of way," she said. "We found a few encroachments, but most of it is still clear."
In Williamson County, the right of way goes through the College Grove and Bethesda areas into Spring Hill.
"If you have a barn or home inside the easement, it's going to have to go," Davis said. "If it's 50 feet from your house, you'll have a nice, wonderful view of a tower."
The TVA hosted an open house earlier in the month in Eagleville to discuss the project and alternatives for the substation site and transmission line routes.
"We're still in the comment period, which will go until the middle of May," Ireland said.
Residents can make public comments on the project until May 12 by calling Steve Pitt at 800-355-6372.
"We hope to have a decision for early May or this summer," Ireland said. o
MORE ONLINE
Information on the proposed Tennessee Valley Authority substation project is available online at www.tva.gov/ power/projects/rutherford/index.htm.
Richard Davis, a Williamson County resident who lives near the planned substation, also has a Web site, www.poweroutrage.org, which opposes the project.
Published: April 25, 2006
Potential TVA lines causing power struggle
CHARLES BOOTH
STAFF WRITER
Neighbors want abandoned TVA right of way to stay that way
By CHARLES BOOTH
Staff Writer
COLLEGE GROVE COMMUNITY -- Back in the 1970s, the Tennessee Valley Authority purchased right of way through Rutherford, Williamson and Maury counties to run transmission lines to the Hartsville Nuclear Power Plant.
The plant was never built, and the lines never went up, but the right of way remained TVA property. Now, 30 years later, TVA is looking at using this land to run 500-kilovolt transmission lines from an existing substation in Maury County to a new substation in Rutherford County.
"The project basically is what we call a bulk system upgrade because of all the growth in that area," Myra Ireland, TVA spokeswoman, said. "The TVA needed additional power in the area, and to get that capacity we needed to build a new 500-kilovolt substation."
This project, known as the Rutherford-Williamson-Davidson Power Supply Improvement Project, would provide more power to Williamson and Rutherford counties, where electrical load has been growing by 3.5% per year. At that rate, by 2010 the current transmission system in Middle Tennessee couldn't handle the electrical load.
But area residents aren't happy that the lines are going up. And they especially aren't happy that the TVA is using right of way it bought in the 1970s.
"This is an issue that took a great many people in the community by surprise," Richard Davis, a Williamson County resident, said. He lives near the right of way, and said he didn't know until recently that the TVA owned this land.
"It was never used, and over time, the community has developed around this easement. It's pretty reasonable to assume it had been abandoned," he said. "The community developed differently over 30 years from how it might have developed had the power lines been in place. Farms have now been broken up into urban estates. People have built homes and made investments in and around this."
Ireland said the easement would have been on the deeds if anyone bought land in that area, so it wasn't a secret.
"One of the specifications was that no structure could be built in the rights of way," she said. "We found a few encroachments, but most of it is still clear."
In Williamson County, the right of way goes through the College Grove and Bethesda areas into Spring Hill.
"If you have a barn or home inside the easement, it's going to have to go," Davis said. "If it's 50 feet from your house, you'll have a nice, wonderful view of a tower."
The TVA hosted an open house earlier in the month in Eagleville to discuss the project and alternatives for the substation site and transmission line routes.
"We're still in the comment period, which will go until the middle of May," Ireland said.
Residents can make public comments on the project until May 12 by calling Steve Pitt at 800-355-6372.
"We hope to have a decision for early May or this summer," Ireland said. o
MORE ONLINE
Information on the proposed Tennessee Valley Authority substation project is available online at www.tva.gov/ power/projects/rutherford/index.htm.
Richard Davis, a Williamson County resident who lives near the planned substation, also has a Web site, www.poweroutrage.org, which opposes the project.
posted by BryanY. at 11:34 AM
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