Work is underway to install the upgraded Tri-State Montrose-Nucla-Cahone 230 kV power line north of Dove Creek.
The new power line is being relocated in rough terrain that includes the area of the Dolores River Canyon and Disappointment Valley.
Geotechnical borings will be underway this month for installation of the Nucla-Cahone transmission line infrastructure, which will cross Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, and private lands. Environmental and cultural resource monitors are on site to ensure compliance with the plan of development outlined in a completed environmental assessment. Alpine Archaeological is conducting the required monitoring for the geotechnical testing project.
The project started June 27 with a kickoff meeting at the Cahone substation. The contractors are Kleinfelder and Vine Drilling. Bore sites on the northern and southern sides of the Dolores River are complete, BLM officials report.
Tri-State is rebuilding the existing Montrose-Nucla-Cahone transmission line from 115 kV to 230 kV. The upgraded transmission line will replace a 57-year-old line, support growth of Tri-State’s member systems and improve the overall performance of the region’s electrical grid.
The new transmission line will be upgraded to 230 kV using primarily wooden H-frame structures and some self-supporting steel structures. The H-frame structures will be approximately 25 feet taller and 10 feet wider than the existing structures and require an additional 50 feet of right-of-way for a total of 150 feet.
The project also includes a new substation near the existing Nucla Substation and power plant, near Nucla, Colorado. The new substation would be called the Maverick 230 kV Substation. Construction of the project will be completed in two segments. Construction of the Nucla Substation and Nucla to Cahone segment would begin in 2017, followed by the Nucla to Montrose segment in 2018.
According to project documents, the new line will strengthen the transmission backbone that provides electricity to individuals, farms and businesses in the region. It will also minimize maintenance costs, reduce outages and allow our members to provide the reliable power that the region is dependent on for future economic development.
“The existing line is not capable of handling the future load increases in southwest Colorado,” according to project plans.
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