Gateway West Transmission Project: Tell Rocky Mountain Power and BLM to Stay in the Existing Corridor from Glenrock to Medicine Bow
Dear Friends,
As we described in our last update, the draft Environmental Impact Statement for Rocky Mountain Power’s proposed “Gateway West” transmission project was published in July. Comments on the draft are due by October 28, and the Bureau of Land Management is holding an information meeting on Thursday this week, October 6, from 4 to 7 PM, at the Clarion Inn in Douglas.
The key issue for all of us who care about the scenic and recreational character of the Northern Laramie Range are the three alternatives BLM is evaluating for the southern portion of segment 1E (the section of the project that would run from Glenrock to Medicine Bow. Two of those alternatives, which are called 1E-A and 1E-B, would be constructed away from the existing 230 kV transmission line corridor between Glenrock and Medicine Bow – through the western foothills of the Northern Laramies - whereas alternative 1E-C would closely follow the existing 230 kV transmission through the center of the Shirley Basin.
We recommend that everyone who cares about the Northern Laramie Range strongly urge BLM to stick with Alternative 1E-C – along the existing corridor - and oppose the proposed new corridors that would be created by Alternative 1E-A or 1E-B.
You’ll find the map showing the routes currently under consideration at the following link:
http://www.nlralliance.org/downloads/gwwest-map.png
You can see that Alternatives 1E-B and 1E-C leave the existing corridor in the southeast corner of Natrona County and turn east toward the mountains. Alternative 1E-C continues south-southwest close to the existing corridor (labeled 1-W on the map) all the way to the “Aeolus” substation west of Medicine Bow, and is the much better route.
There are two reasons that Rocky Mountain Power says it wants to build a new corridor branching to the east. Neither reason looks persuasive:
- Rocky Mountain Power says it needs “redundancy” – i.e., a backup corridor in the event that the main corridor has to be shut down for some reason. But there are many stretches of the Gateway West line that are being built within the existing corridor, and Alternative 1E-C – along the existing corridor – would meet all the line-spacing criteria established by the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) that oversees these issues.
- Rocky Mountain Power says it may want to service wind development in in the northwest part of Albany County. But this development is unlikely: Those are core sage grouse areas, where wind and transmission development would violate State policy. And even if such development occurs, it easly can be served by spur lines from the Aeolus Substation. A new corridor is not needed.
In short, we strongly disagree with Rocky Mountain Power’s assertion that reinforcing the existing corridor (Alternative 1E-C) will not meet system requirements.
And there are other important reasons to oppose the unnecessary construction of a “branch” corridor east of the main transmission line:
- Alternative 1E-A would cross sage grouse core area outside an existing transmission line corridor, which is inconsistent with the Governor’s executive order. Going around the core area along alternative 1E-B will require significant removal of trees on private lands which can be avoided by adopting alternative 1E-C.
- Both 1E-A and 1E-B are significantly longer than alternative 1E-C and will result in many more impacts to all natural resources including wildlife, vegetation, cultural resources, etc.
- Alternative 1E-C uses an existing transmission corridor where impacts would be significantly less.
- Both alternative 1E-A and 1E-B impact much more private land than alternative 1E-C, which crosses government (BLM) land to a far greater extent.
Again, we strongly urge everyone to use the comment period that ends on October 28 to let BLM know that you favor Gateway West using existing transmission corridors, and oppose proposed Alternatives 1E-A and 1E-B, which would push a new corridor across the western ramparts of the Northern Laramie Range.
Here is the link to the BLM’s Gateway West website, where you’ll find all the information you need to comment:
http://www.wy.blm.gov/nepa/cfodocs/gateway_west/index.html
Thanks once again for your continuing support.
Sincerely,
The NLRA Steering Committee
Bret Frye Ken Lay
Willard McMillen Sharon Rodeman
Sally Sarvey Tom Swanson
Diemer True
If you have questions, call Sharon Rodeman on 307-258-1713