July / Aug. / Sept. 2009 - Nebraska Public Power District

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6 ENERGY INSIGHT • JULY / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2009 Quartet of transmission projects... JACK STEINER Project managers Craig Holthe and Jack Steiner might not be wielding batons, shepherding wayward woodwinds or tempering bombastic brass, but the two are currently orchestrating a quartet of important transmission projects in northeast and central Nebraska. Even though they may be the “leader of the band,” figuratively speaking, their ultimate goal isn’t to ply an audience with sweet music. These four projects are being undertaken to meet growing electrical loads, ensure system reliability, increase the efficient use of NPPD’s generation resources and meet the District’s mandate to provide service and fulfill regional obligations. Briefly, the four projects are: 1) Three 115,000‑volt [115 kV] transmission lines [and accompanying substation work] in support of TransCanada’s Keystone XL crude oil pipeline; 2) strikes up-tempo notes! CRAIG HOLTHE A 345 kV transmission line [and accompanying substation work] from the Axtell Substation south of Kearney to the Nebraska/Kansas border; 3) Two 115 kV transmission lines [and accompanying substation work] in South Sioux City to support expanding load in that bustling community; and 4) A 115 kV transmission line to support a new wind farm near Broken Bow, contingent on NPPD being able to sell up to 50 percent of the output to other utilities. The Broken Bow wind farm will need transmission lines to move energy from the farm to the substation. Pending approvals, construction is anticipated to begin in early 2010 and should be completed in early 2011.
In total, these projects carry an early, estimated price tag of approximately $180 million, with a share of the costs being paid by members of the Southwest Power Pool, wind developers and TransCanada. NPPD’s 115 kV transmission line project for the TransCanada Keystone XL crude oil pipeline will involve construction of three 115 kV transmission line segments. These will be built from O’Neill to near Stuart, from Petersburg to near Ericson and from south of Clarks to near Central City. The new lines will provide electric energy to three NPPD wholesale customers – Niobrara Valley EMC, Loup Valleys RPPD and Southern Power District, respectively. These three utilities will then supply power to TransCanada enabling that company to operate pump stations to move crude oil through its pipeline. TransCanada and NPPD will share in the cost of this project, with most being paid by TransCanada. Construction is set to begin in mid‑2011 with an in service date of mid 2012. The Axtell to Kansas 345 kV electric transmission line project is part of a larger, multi‑entity project that encompasses a total of approximately 215 miles of new, 345 kV transmission line to be built in the states of Nebraska and Kansas. NPPD’s portion of the project (approximately 45 miles) runs from the Axtell Substation to the Nebraska/Kansas border. There, NPPD’s new transmission line will link with a similar transmission line project being constructed by ITC Great Plains. This project is part of the Southwest Power Pool’s (a Regional Transmission Organization of which NPPD is a member) “Balanced Portfolio” of transmission projects and as such will be paid for by SPP members, although exact allocation formulas have not yet been determined. Construction on this project will begin in the fall of 2011 with an in‑service date of summer 2013. The South Sioux City 115 kV transmission system expansion project involves design and construction of approximately 15 miles, total, of two 115 kV transmission lines from the existing Twin Church Substation to a new substation to be constructed approximately one mile northeast of Dakota City. ENERGY INSIGHT • JULY / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2009 7 Why build these transmission lines? The answer differs slightly for each project. The TransCanada 115 kV project is perhaps the most straightforward: The crude oil pipeline needs energy to operate; NPPD is obligated to supply that energy. The need for Axtell to Kansas is more complicated. The new 345 kV transmission line from Axtell south to Kansas will do several beneficial things. First, it will ease transmission congestion in the area and allow NPPD to more efficiently operate Gerald Gentleman Station, the District’s largest, and lowest-cost power generation resource. The Axtell to Kansas line is a part of a larger plan proposed by the Southwest Power Pool. The two new 115 kV transmission lines in South Sioux City are necessary because of expanding industrial load there. The work will also help enhance South Sioux City’s electric system reliability. And as far as the lines in support of the two wind projects which are to begin soon, there is a nationwide call for renewable energy. Also, NPPD’s Board has approved an energy supply strategy of having 10 percent of NPPD’s generation mix be from renewable sources by 2020. Ultimately, in many cases, when wind farms are built, the construction of transmission lines goes hand-in-hand. When these projects are completed, NPPD’s electric system will be stronger, more diverse, potentially more reliable, certainly more efficient. Now, that’s sweet music to anyone’s ears. To learn more about NPPD’s Grid Essential transmission projects, go to nppd.com and click on Grid Essential – Transmission Line Projects or to http:// www.nppd.com/grid_essential/.
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July / Aug. / Sept. 2009 - Nebraska Public Power District

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