Idaho Power submitted a Notice of Intent to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council to construct a 300-mile, 500 kilovolt (kV) transmission line in Idaho and Oregon. The line will carry up to 1,500 megawatts (MW) from a substation to be built near Boardman, Oregon, to the new Hemingway Substation, located approximately 20 miles southwest of Boise, Idaho. This project is proposed to meet the load growth and transmission service requests in the Applicants’ service regions of Idaho and Oregon. The project will improve the reliability and efficiency of the utility systems and address congestion problems with transmission in the northeast Oregon and the southwest Idaho region. The proposed route generally follows existing transmission lines and proposed Section 368 Energy Act corridors. Approximately 15 percent of the total proposed route length traverses federally administered land in Oregon and Idaho, and crosses four BLM field offices and one national forest.

Field Surveys

TtEC will conduct protocol level field surveys for wildlife, plants, wetlands, and cultural and historic resources. Wildlife surveys will include sage grouse, raptors, pygmy rabbits, and Washington ground squirrels. Wetlands will be mapped and later delineated for federal and state permit applications. A Class III survey will be conducted along the entire right-of-way, and visual inventory and assessments of impacts to historic trails will be completed.

Public Participation

In coordination with Idaho Power, TtEC developed and is implementing an extensive public involvement participation program that will include eight counties in the two-state study area. Activities include agency and community meetings, newsletters, public scoping meetings, public workshops, and public meetings on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) document. TtEC will assist the BLM in preparing the DEIS and Final EIS. This will include coordination with multiple local, state, and federal agencies, as well as other stakeholders. In addition, TtEC will assist Idaho Power in obtaining all local, state, and other federal permits that may be required for this project, including the Oregon Facilities Siting Permit.

Project considerations include:

• Effects on wildlife habitat, plants, and animals, including threatened, endangered, and sensitive species
• Effects on scenic resources
• Effects on national historic trails and their view sheds
• Effects on Native American traditional cultural properties and respected places
• Avoidance of sensitive areas such as wildlife refuges, areas of critical environmental concern, and state parks
• Land use conflicts and consistency with land use plans
• Completing Class III Cultural Resource Surveys and Section 106 Consultation
• Effects to soils and water from surface disturbing activities
• Effects on the project on local and regional socioeconomic conditions
• Effects on agricultural lands and activities
• Management of invasive plant species and effective reclamation
• Private land access, potential eminent domain actions

PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS

• Preparation of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) EIS
• Corridor and route development for up to 300 miles of new 500 kV transmission lines in Oregon and Idaho
• Preparation of Oregon Energy Facilities Siting Permit Application
• Coordination with four BLM field offices and two U.S. Forest Service district offices
• Extensive public involvement across two states