Transmission Line Information
The following summary outlines a description of the power line, a proposal for right-of-way, and the findings of environmental studies.
Visual Simulation of View from West Road, West Martinsburg, NY
DESCRIPTION OF THE TRANSMISSION FACILITY
The project company has constructed approximately 10.3 miles of a single circuit 230 kV overhead electric transmission line to transmit power from the proposed 240 MW Flat Rock Wind Power Generating Facility to the Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation (NMPC) 230 kV Adirondack-Porter Transmission Line. The Horizon/Atlantic Renewable team has constructed a substation in the Town of Martinsburg (Rector Road 230 kV Substation). From the Rector Road 230 kV Substation, an overhead electric transmission line will run approximately 10.3 miles to the proposed Chases Lake Road Interconnect Facility, located in the Town of Watson adjacent to the NYPA 765 KV Massena-Marcy Transmission Line. The interconnect facility connects the Transmission Facility to the NMPC 230 KV Adirondack-Porter Transmission Line, located east of the NYPA 765 KV Line.
The Transmission Facility is comprised of approximately 77 tower structures and a three-phase, single circuit 230 kV line to transmit power from the Rector Road Substation to the Chases Lake Road Interconnect Facility. Actual spans vary to accommodate geographical considerations. Tower structure types were selected to minimize visual impacts of the facility and to further reduce impacts to agricultural areas and other sensitive resources in the study area. Tower structures are of three general types: wood pole H-frame structure, three-pole wood structure, and a single steel pole structure. Typical structures range in height from approximately 65 to 105 feet.
Construction and long-term operation of the project requires the use of existing access routes or the construction of new access roads. Generally, existing access routes (such as farm drives, logging roads and access through agricultural fields) are available and are in adequate condition to utilize as access routes for the majority of the transmission line corridor. In most areas, these existing access routes are used in their present condition, as heavy equipment access is not necessary for wood pole structures. Because steel pole structures require concrete pier reinforced foundations, upgrade of access routes to these structures were required and ranged from minor fill in unstable areas to resurfacing the length of the route with crushed stone.
STATEMENT OF THE LOCATION OF THE RIGHT-OF-WAY
The Transmission Facility was constructed entirely within newly established rights-of-way obtained by the project company through easements from private landowners. Generally, a 150-foot-wide right-of-way corridor was built, with a proposed clearing width of 100 feet. In certain heavily forested areas, a 200-foot-wide right of way was built, with a maximum clearing width of 150 feet.
The right-of-way originates at the Rector Road 230 kV Substation and terminate at the Chases Lake Road Interconnect Facility. The first segment of the transmission line will originates at the newly constructed Rector Road substation located on the east end of the proposed Flat Rock Wind Power Generating site, northwest of the intersection of Rector Road and Swernicki Road. The substation is approximately 0.75 acres in size, enclosed by a chain link fence, and surfaced with crushed stone. It includes transformers, breakers, switches, relays, meters, and associated equipment. The substation is connected to Rector Road by a new gravel access road. From the substation the right of way runs generally east along agricultural field edges and south across Rector Road traversing pasture and farmland to West Road (County Route 29). The route continues east, descending the Tug Hill Plateau for approximately two miles to State Route 26/12D in the Town of Martinsburg. The proposed route then continues east, crossing two seasonal roads (farm drives), indicated as East and Loucks Roads on the USGS topographic map. Beyond the seasonal roads, the route heads south across Rainbow Creek and intersects with State Highway 12 north of Bush Road in East Martinsburg.
The second segment of the route generally heads in a northeasterly direction from State Route 12 to Pine Grove Road (County Route 39). This section of the proposed corridor traverses approximately 2.9 miles of relatively flat terrain dominated by active agricultural land uses. Portions of this segment of the line are within the Black River floodplain, and the line traverses an approximately 240 foot wide section of the Black River. Road crossings along this segment include State Route 12 and East Martinsburg Road (County Route 22).
The third segment of the route heads in an easterly direction from Pine Grove Road to the east side of Wetmore Road, where a new interconnection station is located next to the NYPA 765 kV Massena-Marcy Transmission Line (Chases Lake Road Interconnect Facility), for the purposes of tapping into the NMPC 230 kV Adirondack-Porter Line. This section of the corridor traverses approximately 2.2 miles dominated by forestland. The station site is also located in a forested area east of Wetmore Road. The station is approximately 0.80 acres in size, enclosed by a chain link fence and surfaced with crushed stone. Unlike the Rector Road substation, this facility does not include transformers, but instead houses only breakers, switches, relays, meters, and associated equipment. The station is connected to Wetmore Road by a new gravel access road.
SUMMARY OF THE STUDIES DESCRIBING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Environmental Design & Research, P.C. of Syracuse, New York, under contract to FRWP, prepared the environmental impact assessment for the proposed Transmission Facility. Environmental studies undertaken for this application examine land use, vegetative communities, wildlife, hydrology (including floodplains and wetlands), geology, visual and cultural (historical and archaeological) resources within a study area encompassing the proposed facilities. These studies examine all Transmission Facility components including proposed tower locations, access roads and substation facilities.
The studies conducted for the proposed right-of-way conclude that in general, no significant adverse environmental impacts will result form either the construction or operation of the proposed electric Transmission Facility. This conclusion is primarily the result of careful facility siting, resource avoidance measures, and limited project size.
VISUAL SIMULATIONS
Please click here to see more visual simulations of the transmission lines.
NYSERDA REPORT
Please click here to read "The Effects of Integrating Wind Power on Transmission System Planning, Reliability, and Operations," a February 2004 report in .pdf form from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
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