The proposed Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Line Project, where possible, will use corridors identified in the West-wide Energy Corridor Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS). The PEIS identifies potential energy corridors on Federal Land in the eleven Western States. In addition, corridors for the Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Line Project will be developed or modified based on studies of the area, comments from federal agencies and land owners, topography, access, and other factors.

The siting of the two southern Idaho stations has been driven by two factors: the location of an existing PacifiCorp 500-kV transmission line, which will initially supply the Hemingway Station, and the proposed line routes suggested in the Treasure Valley Electric Plan (PDF). The plan, developed by community representatives, lays out the electrical infrastructure in the Treasure Valley from now through valley buildout. The general locations identified for major substations and transmission lines provide a framework to plan individual projects.

A variety of transmission line construction will be used in this project. Structures will be a combination of single and double circuit towers and steel lattice and tubular steel towers. Design standards, including heights and spans, are currently being developed for this project.

Rights of way for transmission lines are obtained through easement, fee title ownership, permitting and eminent domain. An easement gives the utility the right to use the land for a specific purpose. Most commonly, negotiations directly with private property owners determine easement rights and restrictions for using the land owned by the property owner.

Fee title ownership is obtained when the landowner sells to the utility company the land needed for the power line. Permitting occurs when the utility applies for a permit to place the facility across public lands. Eminent domain is a last resort when all other options have been unsuccessful.

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.