Environmental Assis for Orono Substation Expansion

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For the above reasons, the Department concluded that further evaluation of these alternative routes would not assist in the Commission's final decision on the route permit application. 3.5 Route Width Xcel Energy is requesting a 400 foot route width for the entire length of the proposed transmission line route. Xcel Energy has identified the extent of the requested route as 200 feet on each side of the proposed route alignment for construction of new structures and conductors, as well as on each side of the existing Line 0831 from Structure 076 to Structure 078 for replacement of Structures 076, 077, and 078 and for replacement of existing structures on residential properties. Xcel Energy also requests a route of up to 120 feet on each side of the proposed Orono Substation expansion area (Xcel Energy, personal communication, November 22, 2011). 3.6 Right -of -Way As indicated in the route permit application, the proposed transmission line will generally require a right-of-way (ROW) of up to 75 feet (37.5 feet on either side of centerline). Xcel Energy indicates in its application that the Project may be designed to fit within a narrower right-of-way in locations with existing rights-of-way or other engineering or site considerations. Xcel Energy indicates in its Route Permit Application that where the Project parallels a roadway or railroad, Xcel Energy anticipates placing poles approximately 5 to 10 feet within private ROW, overlapping approximately 30 feet of anticipated right-of-way with road or railroad right-of-way. As discussed in Section 5.8, compliance with Orono's Shoreland Overlay District would require that poles be placed a minimum of 30 feet outside of road ROW; this setback provision does not apply to railroad ROW. Approximately 1,795 feet of the proposed route parallels the BNSF Railroad. Approximately 590 feet of the Baker Park Reserve Alternative Route parallels the BNSF Railroad, and approximately 1,205 feet parallels U.S. Highway 12 (Xcel Energy, personal communication, October 17, 2011). Xcel Energy has been in conversation with BNSF since the fall of 2010 to discuss routing options of the Project. Current design anticipates placement of poles five feet outside the BNSF right-of-way on the south side of the tracks. Xcel Energy applied to BNSF for a wire crossing for the Project in April, 2011. BNSF issued a Certificate of Occupancy for a rebuild of the existing crossing between Structures 076-1 and 076 and for the paralleling of transmission and railroad rights-of-way on June 24, 2011 (Xcel Energy, personal communication, October 13, 2011). When the transmission line would be located on private property in areas such as open fields or scattered forest land, an easement for the entire ROW (up to 75 feet) would be acquired from the affected landowner(s). The 866 feet of both routes that is located on the Orono substation site owned by Xcel Energy would not require acquisition of new right-of-way. Xcel Energy anticipates that approximately 2,270 feet of new ROW would need to be acquired to construct the Project (Xcel Energy, June 7, 2011). Table 1, below, summarizes the type of right-of-way followed by each of the two routes being evaluated. Environmental Assessment PUC Docket E002/TL-11-223 Page 9