Eastern Plains Transmission Project

What's new

The environmental review schedule presented at public meetings and mailings has changed.  Western will notify the public of the new schedule once it has been determined.  The date that the Draft Environmental Impact Statement would be made available to the public for review has changed from April 2008 to a date that will be determined later.   In the interim, the Colorado Long Range Transmission Planning Group, which includes Western and Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association and other utilities and stakeholders, is developing additional regional transmission planning studies.  Western will incorporate changes to the Project in the DEIS.

The most current, updated maps of the Eastern Plains Transmission Project include:

Proposed, alternative and suggested routes - January 2008 (pdf 1.8 MB)

This map contains updated information on the status of the Eastern Plains Transmission Project environmental review.  The information includes suggestions Western has received from the public through January 2008.  The map displays proposed Project routes and reroutes suggested by the public.

Project description

The Eastern Plains Transmission Project is a proposed new transmission project that would include about 1,000 miles of new high-voltage transmission lines and related facilities in eastern Colorado and western Kansas, expansions at existing substations and construction of new substations, access roads and fiber optic communication facilities. As currently planned, the EPTP would be one of the largest transmission additions in the United States in the past five years. more.

Project progress

• Final system studies completed—February 2006.
• Preliminary right-of-way and environmental work begins—First quarter of 2006.
• Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental impact statement published in Federal Register—August 2, 2006
• Notice announcing second series of public meetings and extension of comment period published in Federal Register—January 19, 2007
• Notice announcing public meeting June 20, 2007, in Rush, Colo., and extension of comment period published in Federal Register—June 4, 2007 
• Planned release of Draft Environmental Impact Statement—TBD
• Planned release of Final Environmental Impact Statement—TBD
• Planned Record of Decision—TBD
• Right of way acquisition would begin following the Record of Decision
• Construction of transmission lines would begin—TBD
• Project completed in phases—TBD

Project updates and documents

Background materials

Comparative routing analysis

Federal Register notices and EIS deterimination

Maps

Newsletters

News releases

Public meeting documents and materials—June 2007 through September 2007

Public meeting documents and materials—February 2007

Scoping meeting documents and materials—August and September 2006

Scoping summary report

Other links

Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc.

If you have question, comments, concerns or would like more information, send an e-mail to us at eptp@wapa.gov, or call toll-free, 1-888-826-4710.