A new power transmission line is about to run through Clay, Lowndes and Oktibbeha counties, and the Tennessee Valley Authority announced on Wednesday where exactly it will go.
The line will connect the Clay Substation at 2740 TVA Road in West Point and extend south to the Artesia Substation at 1280 Mims Road in Columbus, according to a TVA press release.
“This new connection will provide increased reliability in the area by expanding access to generation assets, by enhancing grid flexibility and by attracting economic development,” TVA Senior Strategic Communicator Julia Wise said in a Wednesday email to The Dispatch.
The line will be less than 19 miles long, the release said, and it will be built primarily using single and double pole structures on both existing and new 100-foot-wide right of way.
TVA plans to meet with property owners along the proposed right of way to obtain easements for the construction, operation and maintenance of the line. Property owners would be compensated at fair market value, the release said.
The route for the line was selected following a series of open houses, including one held in West Point in November and a virtual open house from Nov. 14 through Dec. 16. The proposed location was also evaluated for environmental, social and engineering impacts, the release said. The planned route awaits a National Environmental Policy Act review.
The power provider expects to begin surveys in the fall and to start acquiring the necessary easements through the winter. Construction is scheduled to begin by 2027, with the goal of completion by that summer, the release said.
The new line will support growth and increase power reliability in Clay, Lowndes and Oktibbeha counties, the release said.
“Reliable, resilient power is how we ensure energy security, develop and compete on the global stage with innovative technologies, and create the next generation of American jobs,” Wise said. “TVA is leading that charge. In addition to the transmission project, TVA is investing in new generation – like the New Caledonia Gas Plant in Lowndes County. A diverse generation portfolio – that includes nuclear, natural gas, coal and renewables – enables TVA to better meet changing market conditions, including load growth, and allows TVA to build an American energy future while ensuring energy affordability, resiliency and reliability for our customers. ”
Golden Triangle Development LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins confirmed the line’s purpose is to provide power to the new Aluminum Dynamics mill, set to open this summer. He also hoped it would eventually connect to the development of CINCO, a new TVA certified Megasite planned on more than 1,500 acres north of Highway 82.
“TVA is working on electrical grid improvements that will not only benefit the new aluminum mill but ultimately the new CINCO Megasite,” Higgins said in a Wednesday text message to The Dispatch. “This power availability (will) be a major site differential and should increase our chances for meaningful success for the Golden Triangle region.”
There will be outages required for TVA facilities during construction, Wise said, but those outages will be coordinated to avoid any interruptions to customers and will typically occur during off-peak load seasons.
A map of the project and additional information is available at tva.com/transmissionprojects.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
