Bonneville to build $65mn Idaho transmission line

OREANDA-NEWS. The Bonneville Power Administration is planning a \$65mn transmission line project to address reliability concerns for serving a relatively small but fast-growing load pocket in southeast Idaho and neighboring Wyoming.

Bonneville's record of decision to proceed with the Hooper Springs transmission project appeared in the Federal Register yesterday, completing a decision-making process that lasted more than five years.

The project will address concerns related to delivery of the Columbia river federal system hydropower generation to Bonneville customers whose service territories cover eastern Idaho, northwestern Wyoming and southwestern Montana: utilities Lower Valley Energy and Fall River Electric Cooperative.

The project reinforces transmission infrastructure in the southern portion of Lower Valley's service territory. It also strengthens transmission delivery into southeast Idaho and the Jackson Hole valley in Wyoming, an area where load is projected to increase by 3pc/yr.

The project involves building the Hooper Springs substation near Soda Springs, Idaho, a new 24-mile (38km) 115kV line connecting that substation to Lower Valley's existing system and a Bonneville facility and a separate line connecting the substation to the PacifiCorp grid.