The Energy Policy Institute (EPI), housed at Boise State University and part of the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES), recently released a study examining options to more effectively manage the National Environmental Policy Act process as it relates to public lands and electric transmission lines.
The report, “Transmission Siting and Public Lands: Options for Improvement and the Gateway West Case Study,” analyzes the Gateway West project – proposed to run more than 1,000 miles from Wyoming to near Melba, Idaho – as a case study to learn how to improve planning and siting transmission lines in the western U.S. The Western Governors’ Association funded the research, which provides options for federal and local governments, as well as project developers.
“Ultimately in the West, new high voltage electric transmission lines of long length will traverse both private property and public lands. However, a key challenge to that is the time it takes to navigate federal, state, and local permitting processes to arrive at a route that is acceptable to the public and regulators,” said David Solan, author of the report and director of EPI. “Transmission lines are needed to accommodate growth in the region, bring more renewably generated electricity to market, and provide grid stability. The question is how best to site needed infrastructure in the most appropriate places and in a timeframe that meets the public’s needs.”
In January, Solan presented preliminary results of the study at a meeting of the Western Interstate Energy Board’s (WIEB) State-Provincial Steering Committee. Representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy, the Bureau of Land Management, the National Forest Service, the Western Electricity Coordinating Council and state public utilities commissions attended the presentation. The WIEB consists of 12 western states and three Canadian provinces working cooperatively to improve the delivery of power and the operation of the western interconnection.
The study complements a number of existing electric transmission projects by EPI. Ongoing research includes the development of an innovate and open source decision support tool for transmission line routing, best practices for interstate transmission line planning and siting, and an assessment of transmission line siting and permitting within Idaho.
The Energy Policy Institute is part of CAES, a public/private partnership between Boise State, the Idaho National Laboratory, the University of Idaho, Idaho State University and private industry. EPI comprises core staff and affiliate policy researchers and educators from the four CAES institutions. EPI has the unique capability to match the know-how of CAES researchers and faculty to specific projects and the needs of stakeholders and funding agencies at the national, regional and local levels.
The report is available on EPI’s website at http://epi.boisestate.edu/.
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Media Contact: Mike Journee, University Communications, (208) 426-1517, mikejournee@boisestate.edu
About Boise State University
As an emerging metropolitan research university of distinction, Boise State University plays a crucial role in the region’s economic development and famed quality of life. Idaho’s largest institution of higher education offers nearly 200 degrees and certificates in seven colleges. While remaining committed to the strong teaching legacy that has resulted in 11 Idaho Professor of the Year awards since 1990, Boise State’s added emphasis on innovation and creativity is fueling the fastest growing research program in Idaho.