By Matthew Clark
mclark@scbiznews.com
Published Oct. 8, 2015
With a self-imposed deadline to announce a proposed transmission line route looming, Duke Energy officials said they need more time to analyze public comments before making a decision.
In August, Duke proposed expediting the announcement for the new Foothills Transmission Line to October, but now officials said they plan to extend the review process until early November before deciding where the proposed 230-kilovolt line will run between Asheville and a new substation in Campobello, off Interstate 26, adjacent to Duke’s transmission corridor.
A transmission line similar to this one located near Campobello is part of Duke Energy’s proposed $320 million Foothills Transmission Line project, which will run from Asheville to a new substation located off Interstate 26 in Spartanburg County. (Photo by Matthew Clark)
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“Our goal is to have the best possible plan with the least impact on property owners, the environment and the communities we serve,” said Robert Sipes, general manager of delivery operations for the Western Carolinas. “Concerns about the transmission line and substation, and the potential impact on tourism and mountain views we all enjoy, are significant.
“We want the thousands of property owners and others to know we are listening, and we very much appreciate their patience. The job for the Duke Energy team is to offer solutions to as many concerns as we can, including possible alternatives to the transmission line and substation, while also meeting the region’s growing expectation for cleaner and reliable power.”
Some business owners in northern Spartanburg County and into Polk County, North Carolina said the $320 million expansion could cause an economic hardship on an area reliant on the equestrian industry with the addition of the Tryon International Equestrian Center near Columbus, N.C., and various horse farms between there and Landrum.
“This will cut into our natural beauty and kill our economy,” said Suzanne Strickland, owner of Stone Soup restaurant located in Landrum. “I am looking at serious lost revenue.”
Duke officials contend the project is driven by a 360% increase in power demand since 1970 in Duke’s Western North Carolina region which currently serves 160,000 customers in nine North Carolina counties. In order to meet an expected growing demand — expected to increase by 15% over the next decade, according to the company — Duke Energy has proposed retiring its coal-fired power plant in Asheville and replacing it with a natural gas plant which “is expected to produce electricity less expensively than the existing coal plant, which is often dispatched to ensure the region’s power reliability even when it is not economical.”
Duke officials said if they receive approval from regulatory agencies in North and South Carolina, construction on the new transmission route could start in spring 2016 with a completion in summer 2019. Regulatory officials in North and South Carolina have held public hearings, but no decisions have been made on project approval.
Matthew Clark can be reached at 864-235-5677, ext. 107 or @matthewclark76 on Twitter
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