MINDEN, Neb. — People who live along the proposed route have criticized a new Axtell-to-Kansas transmission line that the Nebraska Public Power District plans to build in eastern Kearney and Franklin Counties.
About 85 people attended a hearing Wednesday in Minden.
After NPPD officials reviewed details of the project, the hearing was opened for questions and comments. All those who spoke appeared to oppose the project.
“It appears from a land and wildlife perspective you chose the most destructive and least environmentally friendly route, and you have completely ignored alleged environmental commitments,” said Betty Choquette of rural Upland, Neb.
“NPPD made a promise that you are not keeping or following, and you are taking a path that is most destructive to today’s and future generations of people, wildlife and plant life,” she said. “What’s ironic is we have government programs to help farmers conserve grassland. They pay people to conserve and then on the other end we have utility companies tearing right through the middle of the prairie. It makes no sense.”
Leland Anderson of rural Axtell said he also is unhappy with the proposed route of the line near his home.
“It’s a modest thing to start with, but we built our home to the south, and we have a nice big window where we sit and look out to the south. Now we’ll see power lines,” he said. “I’m up here because I do oppose it, and I want to state for the record I oppose it. We’ve got a big power line behind us and now we’ll have one in front of us.”
Earlier this month, the Nebraska Power Review Board authorized construction of the 53-mile, 345,000-volt line that will link a substation near Axtell to a 165-mile line being built in Kansas.
NPPD representatives said the $87 million Nebraska project is needed to help relieve congestion on other transmission lines in the state and improve system reliability.
There will be a 30-day comment period before the final line route is announced. NPPD officials then will begin surveying land along the route and contacting landowners to negotiate easements.
Opponents have argued that a transmission line company, wind energy developers and electric customers in Kansas will get the most benefits from the Nebraska project. Several opponents also have said the project will disrupt the lives and property of residents along the route.
Alan Belermann, a land management manager for NPPD, said landowners will be offered a base payment of 80 percent of the appraised value of the property within the easement area. They also could be offered additional compensation if buildings or structures need to be moved to construct the line and if property or crops are damaged during construction.
If a settlement is not reached, NPPD can use eminent domain to condemn the land.
“That’s a process we don’t want to have to go down,” Belermann said.
Negotiations with property owners are expected to begin in July, with construction scheduled to begin in late 2011. The project’s estimated completion date is the end of 2012.
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