Latest news with #transmissionlines
CTV News
17-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Hydro in planning stages of $6.8 billion bipole project
CTV's Jeff Keele takes a closer look at a planned Manitoba Hydro overhaul of two major transmission projects. Loading the player instance is taking more time than usual Loading the player instance is taking more time than usual Manitoba Hydro is moving ahead with billions of dollars worth of upgrades for two of the province's major transmission lines. The crown corporation said it needs to replace equipment at the converter stations for the Bipole One and Bipole Two transmission lines, which were built in the 1970s and 80s. Hydro media relations officer Peter Chura said 70 per cent of all electricity generated flows from the north to customers in rest of the province. 'It's very important that we maintain the reliability of the system, by replacing aging infrastructure in that system,' said Chura. The project is in the planning phase with a timeline stretching to 2037, according to a rate application document filed by Manitoba Hydro to the Public Utilities Board (PUB). The current cost estimate is $6.8 billion, but Hydro said that figure could change based on the scope, timing and market conditions. 'It's possible the price could go up, the price could go down, the price could change, but we're doing that work right now to establish those facts,' said Chura. Hydro is currently asking the PUB to approve a 3.5 per cent annual rate increases for the next three years for its operations. A long-term projection forecasts the same amounts. Chris Klassen, from the Public Interest Law Centre which represents not-for-profit groups, said Manitoba Hydro needs to prove why this project is so crucial at this time. 'In the upcoming rate hearing, based on Hydro's history, we'll be asking whether Manitoba Hydro's cost estimates are accurate and whether this expensive project is truly needed now,' said Klassen. That history includes the Bipole Three line and the Keeyask Generating Station, that went $3.7 billion over budget. Premier Wab Kinew defended the costly upgrades, saying this is about building Manitoba's future. 'This is exactly the leverage Manitoba has as a low carbon energy power,' said Kinew.
The Australian
11-06-2025
- Business
- The Australian
Rewire the rollout – go underground to win energy standoff
Transgrid transmission lines running over rural properties. Picture: Ash Smith You can now listen to The Australian's articles. Give us your feedback. You can now listen to The Australian's articles. The re-election of the Labor government has reconfirmed the transition to renewable energy and the 82 per cent target by 2030. But an integral component of that transition – the rollout of high-voltage transmission lines – is not going well. Of the 10,000km to be completed by 2050, only a few hundred kilometres have been finished; community opposition has intensified and the regulatory approval process that Chris Bowen called not fit for purpose in 2022 has yet to be reformed. Every transmission project is years late and way over budget. EnergyConnect has blown out six times from the initial estimate ($700m to $4.1bn); HumeLink by five times ($1bn to $4.9bn); Marinus Link by three times ($3bn for two cables to $4.8bn for one cable); and CopperString by eight times ($1.8bn to $13.9bn). Every year or so the estimated cost of every project has increased and the scheduled completion date delayed. Undoubtedly there will be further cost increases and delays. Such eye-watering blowouts are partly explained by worldwide commodity price escalations, but the primary reason is woefully underestimated costs with impossible deadlines. Transmission companies have an inherent incentive to submit lowball estimates, because once a project is approved by the Australian Energy Regulator, it is never unapproved. The perverse outcome is transmission companies are rewarded with a regulated return based on whatever the final cost of the project turns out to be. So the higher the cost, the higher the return for shareholders, usually foreign investors. The AER has not held transmission companies accountable for their underestimates and flawed cost-benefit justifications and has passed on the extra billions of dollars to electricity consumers. They have yet to see the impacts on their bills, but transmission tariffs are set to multiply manyfold in the coming years. Another aspect of the rollout that is not going well is the ham-fisted dealings of transmission companies with local communities and landowners, creating widespread resistance as well as delays and costs. The groundswell opposition to 'hosting' overhead lines is becoming more strident. There is no enthusiasm for massive 500-kilovolt transmission lines, with 75m towers, 26 suspended wires, a 70-100m-wide easement, and access tracks blighting the landscape across hundreds of kilometres. Lecturing communities on the common good is just insulting. Transmission companies have failed to foster a social licence for their projects. What should be done? Three suggestions. First, hold transmission companies to account for their estimates by requiring them to contribute to cost increases above the initial AER-approved budget. This will encourage genuine estimates in the first place. Second, look at ways to scale back the extent and frenetic schedule of the transmission rollout to mitigate costs for consumers and social and environmental impacts. In particular, focus on locating renewable energy generation as close as possible to capital city load centres, not hundreds of kilometres away, and thereby reduce the need for new transmission. Install more rooftop solar (residential and business) together with more wind (onshore and offshore) close to load centres, supplemented by battery firming. The Snowy Hydro 2.0 project. Also, make use of spare capacity on transmission (and distribution) networks and upgrade where possible on existing easements, augmented with batteries for fault response and storage of above-capacity energy flows. Third, take a broader approach to the regulatory approval process rather than just selecting the project with the cheapest capital cost. A broader approach would bring in technologies other than just high-voltage alternating current overhead lines, particularly high-voltage direct current underground cables. Astoundingly, minimal land-based HVDC transmission is proposed in the rollout, in contrast to overseas, where long-distance underground cables are commonplace and in some situations are mandated. In 2002, Australia led the world with the longest HVDC underground cable, Murraylink, which is still in operation. Australia now lags well behind other nations. The stock excuse for rejecting HVDC is that it is too expensive. Yes, it can be dearer to install than HVAC, typically one-and-a-half to three times. But the capital cost gap narrows and can reverse when the broader long-term benefits of underground HVDC are considered, together with the possibility of taking a shorter route or using existing easements and other infrastructure corridors. For example, the Syncline Community HVDC Cable Project proposes running for 100km in the median strip of the Calder Highway in Victoria. Gaining social licence is so much easier and quicker (and cheaper). There are negligible costs for arbitration or compulsory acquisition, lower costs for easements, compensation and vegetation maintenance, and no loss of property values. As one farmer said when told of a proposed overhead line through his property: 'Go underground and I will dig the trench.' Importantly, underground HVDC has far fewer environmental impacts and much lower biodiversity offset costs ($500m for HumeLink). Underground HVDC is more reliable because it is unaffected by above-ground disturbances, such as lightning strikes, severe weather, bushfires, or accidental contact. There are fewer electrical losses (a significant saving over the life of the cable) and no corona buzz, or electric fields, or electrical interference. There is no risk of bushfire ignition and no access restrictions for firefighting. HVDC can provide system strength services in lieu of synchronous condensers that are needed for an HVAC-only network, costing billions. While underground HVDC will not be appropriate in every situation, there will be many instances where it is the better option after the broader long-term benefits are taken into account. For example, by only considering capital cost comparisons, the NSW and federal governments allowed Snowy 2.0 to bulldoze a 140m-wide easement through 9km of pristine subalpine bush in Kosciuszko National Park and Bago State Forest for two side-by-side double-circuit overhead lines. Surely this should have been an irrefutable instance for undergrounding, especially because it would have been in keeping with the rest of the project. These will be the first transmission lines to be constructed in an NSW national park for half a century. As with overseas developments, consideration also needs to be given to the merits of establishing an HVDC backbone across the eastern states before an overhead HVAC-only network is entrenched. Australia has embarked on the biggest extension of the overhead electricity transmission network to serve for the rest of the 21st century, but clearly it is not going well and changes are needed. We need to prioritise renewable generation closer to load centres, upgrading existing transmission lines, making transmission companies accountable for project estimates, instituting a broader regulatory consideration of all costs and benefits, and genuinely considering the advantages of underground cables. Ted Woodley is a former managing director of PowerNet, Gas Net, EnergyAustralia and China Light & Power Systems
CBS News
10-06-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Maryland PSC to set schedule for controversial energy project
Maryland's Public Service Commission will hold a virtual conference to set a procedural schedule for the controversial Piedmont Reliability Project. The proposed 70-mile transmission line would run through Baltimore, Carroll, and Frederick counties. Today's hearing comes as several Maryland property owners wait for a federal judge to decide whether the developer can survey property owners' land. What is the purpose of the Piedmont Reliability Project? The Piedmont Reliability Project would involve the construction of 70 miles of 500,000-volt overhead power lines connecting an existing transmission line through parts of Baltimore, Carroll, and Frederick counties. PSEG Renewable Transmission, the New Jersey-based developer, says the project is needed to keep up with Maryland's growing need for power that is generated within the state. According to the company, Maryland will face an increased energy deficit and power grid congestion if the state doesn't increase its capacity. Why the pushback? Residents in the path of the proposed project have expressed concerns about potential negative environmental impacts and how the transmission lines may impede personal property. Some residents say the power lines, if built, would cut through family-owned farms. A faith-based youth camp and outdoor education center in Carroll County said the project would jeopardize the camp experience that they provide to guests – since the transmission line would go through their property. Janet Stratton, a Hereford resident, told WJZ her farm that's been passed down for six generations is in the path of the potential transmission line. "I realized my childhood dream 30 years ago," Stratton said. "To have it taken away would be devastating." When it comes to environmental concerns, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation said the project poses risks to the bay's habitat and water quality. The CBF said the project has the potential to damage protected forests, nutrient-rich wetlands, and sources of clean water. Maryland Governor Wes Moore has also spoken out, saying he has concerns about the project. Developer asks court for access to residents' properties In April, PSEG submitted a court filing requesting that residents in multiple Maryland counties allow surveyors onto their land. The judge's ruling will determine if and how PSEG is able to move forward with the project, as the company must complete surveying before proceeding with construction. PSEG's filing for Temporary Right to Entry asks the court to allow the surveying of 91 properties for the project.
CTV News
06-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
One of the largest transmission investments in province's history announced in Springwater, Ont.
Paul Markle, CEO of the Barrie Chamber of Commerce stands at the podium alongside Ontario Energy and Mines Minister Stephen Lecce in Springwater, Ont., to announce building two new transmission lines and major transmission upgrades. This plan will ensure the province has the power it needs to meet growing energy demand to build new homes and support economic growth on Fri., June 6, 2025. (CTV NEWS)
CBS News
06-06-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Residents in Colorado's Elbert County fight Xcel Energy over transmission line running through their properties
As Colorado's energy infrastructure ages, Xcel Energy is aiming to build 550 miles of new transmission lines to accommodate the grid and Colorado's continuous growth. However, residents in Elbert County are resisting efforts from Xcel's proposition, as a portion of the project is intended to travel through the county, which they say will disrupt their way of life. Wednesday night, the Planning Commission voted to recommend denying Xcel's application to the Board of County Commissioners at the end of the month. Until then, Xcel has begun eminent domain initiatives as well as having already acquired nearly 50% of the land needed for the project voluntarily. Tuesday night at the county fairgrounds in Kiowa, Xcel presented their application to the Planning Commission. It went so long, it spilled over to Wednesday night. The Elbert County Staff of Community Development and Services deemed the application incomplete for not submitting more detail about wildfire protection, and recommended to the Planning Commission to deny the application, which they did. Route of Segment 5 The entire Power Pathway project consists of five segments, with Segments 2 and 3 completed and Segment 1 under construction. Xcel's $1.7 billion double-circuit 345-kilovolt electric transmission line will be used to increase reliability across Colorado. "If we lose one of our transmission segments, we have the ability to route electricity around the state," Andrew Holder, the Xcel Community Relations Director, told the commission during Tuesday's meeting. Xcel Energy's proposed line, Segment 5. CBS Colorado But for years, Xcel and those directly impacted or simply living in Elbert County have been at odds over the avenue of Segment 5. "The proposed route selected in Elbert County... is the least impactful compared to other route alternatives evaluated," said the Siting and Land Rights Manager, Jennifer Chester, in her presentation for Xcel to the Planning Commission. "A lot of folks are ranchers. It's our charge to take care of this land where we live," says Kerry Jiblits, who lives in Elbert County. Jiblits is a board member for the Elbert County Environmental Alliance (ECEA) with more than 400 people on its mailing list. While the transmission line isn't going through her property, Elbert County is her home. She "moved here for a reason," she says. The group formed to resist projects that harm the environment and wildlife in the area, Jiblits tells CBS Colorado. They are environmentalists who are all in for renewables. "We're not against the project, we're against this route." Xcel on the other hand, is looking to unlock solar and wind power potential with all that open space on the Eastern Plains. The utility company told CBS Colorado in a statement in part, "We have collaborated with the Elbert County community for four years, addressing questions, concerns and acquiring land rights voluntarily. We adjusted the project's location by 50 miles to accommodate community wishes while keeping project costs low for our customers." Those who participated in Tuesday's public comment say otherwise. "There was not one single person who spoke in favor of Xcel other than the Xcel representatives," Jiblits tells CBS Colorado. She and others in ECEA have met with Xcel many times and even with the president of Xcel Energy-Colorado, Robert Kenney. "Their idea of collaboration is to tell you that this is what [they're] going to do. They have not worked with us in the least." Risk of wildfire But the risk of wildfire is why the Community Development and Services staff in its presentation Tuesday recommended that denial. "The applicant has not submitted the request level of detail of information for proof of fire protection or risk associated with fire behavior." "Wildfire is a huge concern out here," says Jiblits. The Magic Dog fire last October near CO-86 used aerial firefighters, Jiblits tells CBS Colorado. The water came from a body that is adjacent to the proposed Segment 5 route. "They scooped water out of a pond nearby. The transmission lines will be going right next to that pond now. How are they going to be able to access that water?" CBS Colorado reached out to Elizabeth Fire Rescue about how they plan to work around the line in the future, but have not heard back. Elbert County fire districts cover at least 700 square miles and firefighters in the area are mostly volunteer. There's a way to avoid the risk. According to a 2021 study by Pacific Gas & Electric Co., the utility company is taking on the ambitious goal of burying 10,000 miles of above-ground electric distribution power lines in high-risk wildfire areas, which is called undergrounding. Even though PG&E has logistical and technical challenges awaiting it, as well as a near $20 billion price tag, it's possible and currently happening. The first speaker at Tuesday's meeting, Mike Walker of Elizabeth, said, "Xcel says it costs too much to bury the lines." What's in it for Elbert County? "There's no benefit. The power is for the Denver metro area," says Jiblits. Xcel told CBS Colorado, "While we do not provide electric service to Elbert County residents, the Pathway project will provide important tax revenue benefiting the county, cities, fire and school districts." Although Jiblits, and many in the county, aren't buying it. "The taxes that we will get from this project, will be offset by the money we lose in decreased property values and property valuations," says Jiblits. On its website, Xcel says they've used a third-party real estate appraiser analysis, and the transmission line will not impact property vales. Additionally, Holder said on Tuesday that Xcel will pay a 1.26% tax on its new facilities, on top of a $2.5 million project impact fee. "Their attitude is, 'We're going to do what we want. What you say doesn't matter.' They're just going through and checking boxes," Jiblits says. Eminent domain "There were several people who wanted to speak," Jiblits says about Tuesday night's meeting, "but who were unable to speak because of the ongoing litigation." That is eminent domain proceedings. Xcel told CBS Colorado partly, "We remain committed to making every effort to reach a fair and reasonable settlement, but when negotiations are unsuccessful, we have to exercise our eminent domain authority." Although alternate lines have been offered, Segment 5 is moving ahead as proposed. Jiblits says, with larger acreage farther east, families won't be as impacted from the project. "There are already rights of way out there that they could follow and use. They don't need to take our land for their project." Xcel and Elbert County residents will have to wait more than two weeks for a vote from the Board of Commissioners on June 24.
