Issue 1 - July 2009

In this edition:

What’s new:
  • We continue to engage landowners, elected officials, and other key stakeholders to review and discuss routing suggestions as public meetings continue in the project area. For the latest information on upcoming meetings and details on past meetings, please view our online meetings calendar.
  • We are evaluating all routing suggestions in coordination with the BLM and how they relate to the environmental review process.
  • We developed a new project website. For the latest news and information, visit the site regularly, and bookmark this page.
  • The Bureau of Land Management recently released an environmental assessment for geotechnical drilling work needed to complete the draft environmental impact statement (EIS). For more information visit the BLM’s project website.
Route siting and field work

A final route centerline for the project has not been chosen. The final size of right of way needed for the centerline, after a final route has been identified, will be up to 150 feet for 230 kilovolt (kV) lines and up to 350 feet for 500 kV lines. One of the many important steps that must be completed before the final right of way is determined is to conduct field work and analysis.

As part of this step, we are currently requesting property access within a limited area along the study corridor in order to conduct field work which may include soil borings, land surveys and studies documenting cultural and natural resources. These studies are needed to help complete the environmental analysis for the project.

Common questions
What will this project look like?
The Gateway West Transmission Line Project plans to utilize a variety of different tower structures. The towers for each segment and area of the project depend on the location, topography and needs of a specific area. Click here to see the tower types proposed for this project.

Who will have access to the energy transmitted on the Gateway West Project?

This project is necessary to help meet the growing electricity needs of our customers in Idaho, Wyoming, Utah and other Western states. The energy transmitted on this project will come from a variety of sources, including wind, geothermal, natural gas and coal.

As regulated utilities, we are also required to provide access to this transmission line to third-party energy generators when capacity is available. The Gateway West Transmission Line will be open to all generators who meet regulatory requirements, regardless of the generation source.

Stay involved!
Get the latest information on the Web
For the most up-to-date project information, visit the project website. You’ll find the latest information on upcoming meetings, answers to commonly asked questions, project maps and more.

Let us know what you think
We want to hear from you. You can provide comments via the project website or contact us at the following:

For Idaho Power customers
Call: 888-757-6957
E-mail:
gatewaywest@idahopower.com

For Rocky Mountain Power customers
Call: 801-220-4221
E-mail:
ConstructionProjects@pacificorp.com

Participate in the environmental review process
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is the lead federal agency responsible for preparing the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for this project. Once this document is released, the BLM will host public hearings and a comment period to gather feedback on the EIS. Please visit the BLM’s website for updated information on the EIS.


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