by Stephanie Croston

    The Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) held an open house March 29 to receive input on a high-voltage power line that may run through a portion of Seward County.
     The line would connect the Columbus East Substation with Lincoln Electrical System's Northwest 68th and Holdrege Substation.
     A new 345 kilovolt transmission would be constructed that would span approximately 67 miles. The preliminary cost estimate for the project is $120 million.
     When the project is done, NPPD information said, NPPD's east-central Nebraska system will be better able to support future projected loads and maintain its reliability during peak usage.
     NPPD said demand for its services has grown 5.1 percent from 2005 to 2006.
     "The peak demand for electric power recorded in 2006 was not projected to occur on the system until approximately 2013," information provided by NPPD said.
     The open house was a preliminary meeting with landowners from the impacted area. No routes have been finalized, NPPD representatives emphasized.
     The meeting was an opportunity to hear concerns from landowners and learn more about the areas where the line could run. Locations of things like center pivots and burial sites will affect where the line will run.
     In addition to human habitations, the NPPD looks at impact on the environment, including wetlands and wildlife management areas.
     The line will not run diagonally across sections, NPPD said. The state requires that the power line follow section lines or half-section lines.
     Once the information gathered during meetings throughout the proposed area has been compiled, a second round of meetings will be scheduled. The focus will be narrowed to proposed corridors for the new line. After those meetings, the area will be narrowed again and more meetings scheduled. NPPD hopes to have the new line in service by June of 2009.