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East River Electric Holds Meetings to Inform Public on Need for Additional Transmission Lines

In June, East River Electric Power Cooperative held informational public meetings to describe the need for two new transmission lines that would improve the Cooperative’s transmission network in Lake and Brookings Counties.

East River is proposing to add 11 miles of 69 kV line from its Rutland substation, 7 miles northeast of Rutland, to its Medary substation, three miles southwest of Brookings and 22 miles of 69 kV line from its V. T. Hanlon substation, three miles east of Montrose to its Lakeview substation on the southeast side of Madison. The new lines are needed to accommodate electric load growth in Lake and Brookings Counties and surrounding areas and they will improve the reliability and strength of East River’s regional 69 kV transmission network.

“The purpose of the public meetings was to be up front with landowners, cooperative customers, and the general public on the new lines and where they will be located as well as give them an understanding of the process involved in the right of way acquisition, siting and building of the new lines,” said Dan Wall, East River Transmission and Engineering Services Manager. “This project is helping the entire region by providing the necessary transmission infrastructure to serve the future.”

Due to the substantial growth that East River has seen over the past several years and the need to meet tight work schedule deadlines, East River has hired Sioux Falls based Ulteig Engineering to handle right of way acquisition and survey routes for the new lines. East River will do the engineering design and construction work. The work is scheduled to be completed by 2009.

“It is also important to us for the public to be comfortable when they see the workers and the lines being built, knowing they are working to improve the electrical system,” Wall said. A control survey has been completed with the right of way acquisitions, route surveys and final line designs yet to be finished.

Before construction, five governmental agencies will have reviewed and approved the project including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Corp of Engineers, South Dakota Department of Natural Resources, South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks and the South Dakota State Historical Society.