From Our Perspective

Thank you for your interest in the Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Line Project (B2H Project). This page will be updated throughout the project to provide you with information about a variety of topics related to transmission lines. We appreciate your input and look forward to your continued participation throughout the project.

The "Fast Track Project Process" was used in 2007 to identify projects needed within the Northern Tier Transmission Group to ensure system reliability and meet transmission service requests. The Fast Track Project Process, open to transmission users’ input and participation, was conducted at the same time as the more formalized Northern Tier Transmission Group Sub-Regional Planning Process under the Western Energy Coordinating Council’s Regional Planning Process. The B2H Project was included as part of this planning process. The projects were considered “fast track” because their planning process involved activities taking place simultaneously rather than in the traditional linear fashion.

There is still a sense of urgency with these projects to meet the demand and to ensure system reliability; however, the Fast Track projects are not taking implementation/siting/permitting shortcuts. Local, state and federal permitting processes, including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process and Oregon’s energy facility siting process, are not on any fast track program and require a series of milestones to be met during the environmental review process. Currently, Idaho Power is conducting a collaborative siting process called the Community Advisory Process to develop proposed and alternate routes for the project.

The proposed route and alternatives were developed using line siting criteria of avoiding the identified constraints and minimizing impacts. While the various route alternatives initially evaluated were mostly on private land, Idaho Power is not in any way opposed to placing the transmission line on public land, as long as environmental issues can be resolved.

For more information about the initial routing process, visit the Routing page.

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Many factors affect market prices of real estate, including availability of water and sewer service; proximity to community facilities such as schools, medical facilities and parks; transportation accessibility; lot size; highest and best use of land; age and condition of property structures; and current market conditions.

Land valuation studies conducted for western states have shown land and housing values associated with the presence of power lines to remain consistent with that of surrounding property. Transmission lines have existed for decades and are part of our landscape. They are present in agricultural lands, residential areas, parks and other public lands, commercial and industrial areas and in urban environments. For this reason, other factors typically have a more significant role when determining the market value of a property. For more information, visit Working with Landowners.

To view documentation on property values related to transmission lines, visit the Library page.

“Utility” is the use of the property for its intended purpose or function. In appraisal terms, land value is partially based on the “highest and best use” of the land or utility. To determine how the proposed transmission line would affect a property’s value, an appraiser would evaluate the highest and best use of the land before the transmission line was constructed with the highest and best use of the land anticipated following construction.

To minimize the loss of utility, we seek to locate power lines along existing roads, railroads, pipelines or utility corridors. We will work with landowners as much as possible to ensure the continued use of their land. For agricultural lands, we will work with farmers to reduce impacts to agriculture. Over the long term, most agricultural activities can proceed with the transmission line in place.

The steel lattice towers proposed for the B2H Project have a 40-foot-square footprint. There would be approximately five towers per mile. The area under the transmission line (including the 250-foot easement) and adjacent to the footprint – could still be used for agricultural, grazing and other purposes. The only area that would no longer be usable would be the base under the tower. The location of the towers would be determined with input from the landowner so there would be minimal or no disruption to current land use.

Aerial spraying is an important tool for farmers. We’ve heard from farmers about their concerns that the transmission line would hinder or reduce aerial spraying of their fields and impact their crops. We have met with crop dusters to hear their concerns first hand and listen to their suggestions on how we can work together on the project design and line route. Crop dusters prefer not to spray near transmission lines but they also prefer not to spray near other obstacles such as buildings, silos and trees. The pilots stated that transmission lines and crop dusters can co-exist. Idaho Power will continue to work with farmers and crop dusters to find a route that will have the least impact to aerial spraying.

To view a computer simulation and third-party videos of agricultural operations near transmission lines, visit our Video gallery.

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EMFs are invisible forces created by any electric charge. The word “electromagnetic” is a combination of two words; electro (electric) and magnetic. Electric fields are the result of the strength (voltage) of the electric charge. Magnetic fields are the result of the motion (current) of the charge. Wherever electricity is used, EMFs are present.

Since the early 1970s, extensive research has been performed to determine if EMFs pose health risks. Idaho Power agrees with the overwhelming body of research that shows EMFs are not detrimental to human or animal health.

For more information about EMFs and potential interference with GPS and pivot systems, visit our Safety page.

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This Web site is the joint Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Line Project site. Information contained on this site is approved for posting by Idaho Power. Visit the Idaho Power Web site.