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Rutherford-Williamson-Davidson Power Supply Improvement Project

Update: April 2008

TVA has issued a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) which recommends the preferred alternative solution for this project. A copy of the document is available online, or contact Anita Masters at aemasters@tva.gov or 423-751-8697.

Update: October 2007

TVA has issued a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) which examines the potential effects of building this project. A copy of the document and information on how to submit comments is available. Comments should be received by November 20, 2007 to receive full consideration. TVA will also hold a public meeting on Tuesday, October 30, 2007, from 4-8 p.m. at the Eagleville High School in Eagleville, Tennessee, to discuss issues related to the draft EIS and to receive comments.

Update: September 2006

Based on preliminary environmental and engineering surveys and public input, TVA has selected site 2 as the preferred location for a new 500-kilovolt substation. In conjunction with the site, a network of connecting transmission lines, which have been adjusted following public input (segments 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, and 12), will be studied further to determine if the locations are suitable for the new transmission facilities. See details below.

Update: March 2006

TVA will hold an open house on April 11 to discuss the proposed transmission line project. See details below.

Update: February 2006

TVA has issued a Scoping Document that summarizes the results of the public scoping held in 2005. Based on the public comments received during scoping, as well as additional engineering, financial, and environmental studies, TVA has determined that the alternative solutions involving expanding the Pinhook Substation and a new substation in the Smyrna, Williamson County area are not feasible and are being eliminated from further consideration. Future project efforts are being focused on the alternative solution involving a new substation in Rutherford County and associated new transmission lines.

Project description

Maps

Open house

Background

Environmental reviews

Public participation

Contacts

Project timeline

Related information

Project description

While population has been growing at 4.3% per year, the total area electrical load has been growing by 3.5% per year. By 2010, load growth in Williamson and Rutherford counties is expected to be more than TVA’s transmission system in middle Tennessee can handle.

Additional 500-kilovolt transformer capacity and associated transmission lines are needed for continued reliable electric service to the middle Tennessee area. Without a system upgrade, the dependability of the power supply to the area will be threatened.

The solution involves the construction of a new substation on about 60 acres of land in southwest Rutherford County, plus about 55 miles of new connecting transmission lines, including:

30 miles of new 500-kV line on existing, but never used, right-of-way from the new Rutherford substation to the existing Maury 500-kV Substation near Columbia, in Maury County Tennessee.
7 miles of new161-kV line on vacant, TVA-owned right-of-way from the Rutherford substation north to the existing Almaville 161-kV substation
15 miles of double-circuit 161-kV line on new 100-foot right-of-way from the new Rutherford substation to the Christiana 161-kv substation
3 miles of 161-kV line on new right -of-way from the new Rutherford substation to the existing Murfreesboro-Triune-E. Franklin 161-kV transmission line.

See additional information in the Background section.

Preferred site

TVA has identified alternative Site 2 in Rutherford County as the preferred location to build a 500-kV substation. The site is located on Coleman Hill Road, about 4 miles east of U.S. Alternate 31/41. In addition, about 55 miles of connecting transmission line have been identified (adjusted 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, and 12). About 37 miles would be on existing, but vacant, right-of-way and 18 miles on new right-of-way.

The preferred substation site and line routes have been adjusted from the original proposal based on public and property owner input and to minimize overall project impacts. Compared to the other alternatives, this site and route combination is expected to have the least overall project impacts and be the most cost-effective solution.

See this factsheet (59 kb, PDF) for additional information on TVA's evaluation and decision.

Site Criteria	Site 1	Site 2	Site 3	Site 4	Site 5	Site 6	Site 7	Site 8
Constructability	good	good	fair	good	good	poor	poor	poor
Environmental	good	good	poor	good	good	good	good	poor
Land Use	good	good	fair	good	fair	good	good	poor
Transmission	good	good	good	fair	poor	good	fair	poor
Assessment	good	good	fair	good	poor	poor	fair	poor

Note: The evaluation shown for site 2 is a slight variation of the original location to avoid a hydric soils condition.

Based on the results of the limited site reviews, more detailed studies of the three most suitable sites (sites 1, 2, and 4) were needed. Evaluations of the sites in combination with the various alternative transmission route combinations were conducted. These evaluations were conducted using Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis.

Based on the GIS analysis, two of the top three ranked site-route combinations include site 2 and the third ranked site-route combination includes site 1. The #1 overall ranking is the most favorable location for the transmission facilities.

Site Ranking	Site 1 (option 1-15) A	Site 2 (option 2-5) B	Site 2 (option 2-6) C
Engineering	3	1	2
Environmental	3	1	2
Land Use	1	2	3
Cultural	3	1	2
Overall Ranking	3	1	2

A. Substation site 1 and transmission line route combination 15 (rank #3 overall).

B. Substation site 2 and transmission line route combination 5 (rank #1 overall).

C. Substation site 2 and transmission line route combination 6 (rank #2 overall).

Site 2-Route 5 is the preferred option because it

exhibits very favorable engineering and construction characteristics,
utilizes approximately 30 miles of existing 500-kV transmission line, has the shortest length of new 500-kV line,
has the shortest 161-kV route to Christiana, and
has minimal impacts on streams and wetlands.

Next Steps

The preferred alternative (site 2-route 5) and the second-ranked alternative (site 2-route 6) are similar with the exception of small route segments. TVA will conduct preliminary field studies on both these alternatives. The information will be used as part of the NEPA decision-making process.

Preferred route options: modified version of segments 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 12.
Second-ranked route options: modified version of segments 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 12.

Property owners who would be directly affected by the substation site and transmission line routes will be notified by TVA. TVA will follow-up with answers to questions and to coordinate access for environmental and engineering surveys.

An Environmental Impact Statement is being prepared to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of the construction, operation, and maintenance of the substation and transmission lines in middle Tennessee. TVA anticipates releasing a draft of the Environmental Impact Statement in fall 2007 for public comment.

Maps

Maps are PDF files requiring Adobe Acrobat Reader. Please use the zoom tool to view details and allow time for it to reload. If you have questions or need help understanding the map, please contact TVA.

Preferred site and routes (PDF, 819 kb)

Preferred site and routes with parcel boundaries
Overview (PDF, 180 kb)

Map 1 (PDF, 489 kb)
Map 2 (PDF, 484 kb)
Map 3 (PDF, 434 kb)
Map 4 (PDF, 420 kb)
Map 5 (PDF, 462 kb)
Map 6 (PDF, 425 kb)

Map 7 (PDF, 450 kb)
Map 8 (PDF, 623 kb)
Map 9 (PDF, 419 kb)
Map 10 (PDF, 412 kb)
Map 11 (PDF, 481 kb)

The map below shows the eight substation sites and transmission line routes that were evaluated. Due to public comment, four substation sites were added to the original four alternatives and alternative transmission line routes were adjusted from those presented at the April open house.

Map of Adjusted Alternatives (PDF, 812 kb)

The map below shows the alternative substation sites and routes TVA originally considered for the proposed transmission project and presented at the April 11 open house.

Map of Alternatives (PDF, 520 kb)

Open house

TVA held an open house in Eagleville, Tennessee on April 11 to discuss the proposed project. A 6-week comment period followed. Comments received were considered in reaching a decision on the preferred substation site and transmission line routes.

Handout for open house (PDF file, 39 kb).

Background

The population in Murfreesboro, Franklin, and the surrounding area has been growing at a rate of 4.3 percent per year since 1990. Electrical load has been growing by 3.5 percent. By 2010, load growth in Williamson and Rutherford counties is expected to be more than TVA’s transmission system in middle Tennessee can handle.

Without a system upgrade, the reliability of the power supply to customers in the middle Tennessee area will be threatened. TVA has an obligation to ensure the reliability of the power supply throughout the TVA service area and will complete system upgrades that are needed for its transmission system to comply with the reliability planning standards set by the North American Electric Reliability Council.

The study area includes Rutherford and Williamson counties and southeast Davidson County. Metropolitan areas include Brentwood, Franklin, Murfreesboro, and Smyrna. Transmission line upgrades could also affect existing rights-of-way in Bedford, Coffee, Franklin, Moore, Maury, Sumner, and Wilson counties.

A number of options for correcting the problem have been considered. Those that did not fully address the need were eliminated, leaving three alternative solutions that technically met the power supply needs of the system.

Expand TVA’s existing Pinhook 500-kV Substation in southeast Davidson County. This solution would also require the upgrading of about 115 miles of existing 161-kV transmission line in Davidson, Rutherford, Maury, Williamson, Coffee, Franklin, and Bedford counties.
Construct and operate a new 500-kV substation in northeast Williamson County near Brentwood. TVA would also upgrade about 75 miles of existing 161-kV transmission line located in Davidson, Rutherford, Williamson, Sumner, Wilson, Coffee, Franklin, and Bedford counties.
Construct a new 500-kV substation in southwest Rutherford County. Proposed transmission line upgrades would be needed in Rutherford, Maury, and Williamson counties. TVA would construct a new 500-kV transmission line from its Maury Substation to the new substation. This line would be built on right-of-way that TVA purchased in the 1970s but has not used. Three 161-kV transmission lines are also proposed. One, from the new substation to the Almaville Substation, would be built on vacant right-of-way owned by TVA. A double-circuit line would be built on new right-of-way between the new substation and the Christiana substation. Another line would connect the Murfreesboro-Triune-East Franklin 161-kV transmission line to the new substation.

Following the public scoping of the project and additional engineering, environmental, and financial studies, TVA has eliminated the alternative solutions involving the expansion of the Pinhook Substation and the new substation near Brentwood from further consideration. The reasons for this change are described in detail in the project scoping document.

A study area for the three original alternative solutions was identified and is shown on Map 1. The substation would have been located in Davidson, Rutherford, or Williamson County. Depending on the location of the substation, new and/or upgraded transmission lines would have been located in the following counties: Bedford, Coffee, Davidson, Franklin, Maury, Moore, Rutherford, Williamson, and Wilson. Much of the transmission line upgrades would have been on existing transmission lines and right-of-way.

Map 1 (PDF file, 271 kb)

Following the elimination of the alternative solutions involving the expansion of the Pinhook Substation and the new substation near Brentwood from further consideration, the study area for the remaining Rutherford alternative solution is located in Rutherford, Williamson, and Maury Counties and is shown on Map 2. The potential substation locations, study area for the Christiana-Rutherford transmission line, and potential locations of the other transmission lines are shown in more detail in Map 3.

Map 2 (PDF file, 508 kb)

Map 3 (PDF file, 550 kb)

The maps are PDF files requiring Adobe Acrobat Reader. Please use the zoom tool to view details of the section maps and allow time for them to reload. If you have questions or need help understanding these documents, please contact TVA.

Environmental Reviews

TVA will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of the construction, operation, and maintenance of the new line and upgraded lines in middle Tennessee. TVA invites public comment on the scope of the EIS and environmental issues that should be addressed. If you are aware of any such issues or have concerns about potential environmental effects, please tell TVA about them by one of the methods outlined below. The comments will be used in determining the scope of the environmental review.

Scoping Document (PDF file, 467 kb)

View the notice of intent (PDF file, 95 kb) published in the Federal Register. It includes background on the project, issues to be addressed, and alternatives considered.

Public participation

TVA’s process for siting new transmission facilities is designed to afford public input at all stages. TVA remains committed to working with area stakeholders to address all concerns during the course of this project.

TVA’s goal is to identify a solution that minimizes impacts to homeowners, property owners, existing environmental and historical features, and planned development, while meeting the needs of the power system and keeping the overall project cost within reason.

While public input will be welcome throughout the project, TVA will actively solicit public comments at specific milestones during the project.

July 1 – August 8, 2005	Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) scoping 2005 comment period (30 days).
July 11, 2005	Open house.
April 11, 2006	Open house for comments on alternative substation sites and transmission line routes.
Fall 2007	Open house for comments on the draft EIS.

TVA held a Scoping meeting in July 2005 to seek comments regarding the environmental issues that should be considered in the environmental impact statement. TVA representatives were available to receive comments, answer questions, and discuss any aspect of the proposed project, including the National Environmental Policy Act process. Displays, maps, and printed information were available at the meeting.

Comments on the scope and environmental issues for the EIS were accepted through August 8, 2005. TVA then identified alternatives and environmental issues, analyzed the environmental consequences of each alternative, and prepared a draft environmental impact statement for public review and comment.

TVA will solicit written comments on the draft EIS, which is expected to be available fall 2007. In conjunction with its release, a public meeting for comment on the draft EIS will be announced.

Contacts

For environmental information:

Anita Masters
TVA Environmental Stewardship & Policy
1101 Market Street, MR 2T-C
Chattanooga, TN 37421-2801
423-751-8697
E-mail: aemasters@tva.gov

For other project information:

Steve Pitt
TVA Power System Operations
1101 Market Street, MR 4G-C
Chattanooga, TN 37421-2801
Toll free line: 800-362-4355
E-mail: newtransline@tva.gov

Project Timeline

June 27, 2005	Issue the Notice of Intent for Environment Impact Study . Public scoping comment period begins (45 days)
July 11, 2005	EIS public scoping meeting
August 8, 2005	EIS public scoping comment period ends (45 days)
Winter 2006	Issue draft EIS scoping document
April 2006	Open house for comments on alternative substation sites and transmission line routes
Summer 2006	Announce decision on a preferred site and routes for future studies
Fall 2007	Issue Notice of Availability of draft EIS
Fall 2007	Open house for comments on the draft EIS
Late Fall 2007	Close draft EIS comment period
Late Summer 2007	Final EIS available; announce preferred site and route
Late Summer 2007	Issue Record of Decision for EIS
Late Fall 2007	Begin acquiring property and easements
Winter 2007-08	Begin construction
Spring 2010	Project in service