NC2 Transmission Line

Frequently Asked Questions

Purpose of the Line

Why is the line needed?
The new transmission line and power plant will enhance reliability for the entire region. Specifically, the new line is needed to ensure reliable delivery of electricity generated by a new power plant to be constructed adjacent to the existing plant near Nebraska City. This is the only new line that will be needed in conjunction with the new power plant.

The new plant, Nebraska City 2 (NC2), is a 663-megawatt unit scheduled to begin commercial operation in 2009. OPPD will use 50 percent of the new capacity to meet the future needs of its customers, while seven other publicly owned utilities would participate in long-term purchase agreements for the remaining 50 percent. Those utilities are: Nebraska Public Power District, City of Grand Island Utilities Dept., Nebraska City Utilities, Falls City Utilities, City of Independence (Mo.) Power & Light, Missouri Joint Municipal Electric Utility Commission and Central Minnesota Municipal Power Agency.

Transmission capacity is also a concern in Nebraska, and this line will help reduce the likelihood of a regional power outage in our area.

Why will the line extend to the Lincoln area?
Construction of the new plant in Nebraska City (NC2) will require a number of upgrades to the area transmission system in order to ensure reliable delivery of additional power. The new line to Lincoln is a key part of those upgrades.

Analysis of the existing transmission system indicated that current capacity of the lines from Nebraska City Station to the west would not be adequate to accommodate the additional power from NC2. Building a line between NC2 and Lincoln will provide better reliability for all Nebraskans by strengthening the entire system. This general path, or study area, was chosen based on several criteria, including cost, reliability and the amount of land that would be impacted.

Is Lincoln Electric System (LES) involved in this project?
LES is not a participant in OPPD’s new NC2 plant, but they have participated in joint transmission planning studies with the participants in the plant to be sure that the required transmission facilities enhance regional reliability.

LES agrees that the new line to Lincoln is the most economically feasible option for integrating NC2 deliveries into the transmission system and does not duplicate facilities. As part of the jointly coordinated regional effort, LES will be responsible for siting and constructing a new substation southeast of Lincoln that will become the point at which the new OPPD line will connect to LES.

The new line and substation will strengthen the reliability of the regional grid, benefiting all Nebraska utility customers. At the same time, the line, substation and other LES upgrades will provide a strong and reliable transmission system in the Lincoln area to serve LES customers.

Why don't you build the plant in Lincoln so you don't need to construct the line?
The second power plant is being constructed on the site of the current Nebraska City plant because it will have the least environmental and economic impact. This site already has rail access, coal handling and river water cooling facilities, and transmission line access, all of which will be used jointly by both plants. OPPD, like all public utilities in Nebraska, is obligated by state statue to select resource additions that are the most economical and which do not duplicate other facilities. The fact is that building the plant in Lincoln, or any location other than the current plant site, would have a significant impact on the area selected and could require more than one transmission line to deliver the electricity to the power grid.

Location and Look of the Line

How was the route selected?
In choosing a route, OPPD's goal was to identify a route that had the least overall negative impact. OPPD tried to balance the interests and needs of area communities, individual residents, land owners and the utility. Following a series of public open houses and discussions with community leaders during the first quarter of 2005, OPPD selected the route based on several factors identified as most important: proximity to houses, impact on property, natural resources and development areas, the total length of the line, and cost.

There are only 5 homes within 300 feet of the line, and the nearest home to the line is 148 feet. The route is 49 miles long, and 80 percent of it parallels highways, roads, railroads and existing power lines, or it is on OPPD-owned property. Some of the route follows Nebraska Highway 2, moving off the road to avoid housing where possible.

Can you use existing right-of-way for the new line?
Yes. Where possible, we will maximize usage of existing rights-of-way.

What will it look like?
Because the transmission line will be unique to the lay of the land chosen, the line has not yet been designed and decisions about specific pole types are premature. However, single metal poles have less of a negative impact on the land than large wooden structures, and this is most likely the type of pole that will be used wherever possible.

Possible structure types for the NC2 transmission line are shown below. The single steel poles - using either delta or vertical construction - offer many advantages, and are receiving much consideration at this time. When using single poles, changing direction (e.g. turning a corner) may result in guying the structure; this is shown in one picture below. Even if the line were constructed predominantly using single poles, a few unique situations could necessitate the use of the double pole H-frame structure included below. OPPD has not yet made any final design decisions.

How tall are poles and how low are the lines?
The height of the poles depends on their type and location, however typical single poles average 110 feet tall. They are usually spaced about 850 feet apart. At the lowest point of sag between the poles, the line would be a minimum of 25 feet off the ground.

Can you bury the line?
No. The cost of an underground line of this size is approximately six to 10 times the cost of an overhead line. In addition, there are significant engineering challenges to burying a line carrying this much electricity.

Are there any restrictions on where you can build a line?
Nebraska Law states that OPPD must build on section lines, quarter section lines or existing corridors, such as highways and railroad lines when passing through agricultural areas, unless the property owner is willing to grant voluntary easements to do otherwise.

How wide is a typical easement?
The amount of easement required will vary, depending on the route and design. Where public right of way is sufficient, no additional easement may be required. Depending on the pole types, the easement requirements could range from 75 to 200 feet.

Will OPPD Pay for Property?

How are landowners compensated for property required for the line?
OPPD will typically buy an easement, which provides the rights to build and maintain a line across private property. This is a one-time transaction between OPPD and the landowner. OPPD pays for the amount of property that is encumbered by the easement. Payments are based on a percentage (usually 90 to 100%) of the fair-market value of the property.

How Will the Line Impact Me?

How will the new poles affect my farming operation?
We will attempt to put the poles in places that minimize the impact to farming whenever possible. Final route selection and topography will determine the ultimate location of the poles.

How close to the new line will I be able to farm?
If your property is impacted, you will be able to farm under the line and right up to the poles.

What activities are and aren't allowed within the easement area?
You may farm, pasture or graze the easement area. No buildings, trees, burning or grading are allowed within the easement area without the permission of OPPD.

Won’t the line cause EMF and isn’t that dangerous to the health of my family?
EMF is the abbreviation for Electric and Magnetic Fields. Over the past several years, millions of research dollars have been spent studying this issue in an effort to determine whether EMF can cause adverse health effects. To date, a credible scientific consensus has not determined that such a connection exists. These fields are basic forces of nature and are found almost everywhere. An electric field exists wherever there is a difference in voltage. For instance, they are present whenever electric charges build up in the atmosphere in a thunderstorm. The earth's magnetic field causes a compass needle to point in a north-south direction and is used by birds and fish for navigation.

On the manmade side, these fields are present in any appliance that uses electricity, whether it be a battery-powered flashlight, the clock radio by your bed, or a power line. There is a good definition of these fields at the World Health Organization website.

In 2001, the National Radiation Protection Board of the United Kingdom completed a study and concluded: Laboratory experiments have provided no conclusive or consistent evidence that electromagnetic fields are capable of producing cancer, nor do human epidemiological studies suggest that they cause cancer in general.

In 1999, The U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, a part of the National Institutes of Health stated: The NIEHS believes that the probability that EMF exposure is truly a health hazard is currently small. The weak epidemiological associations and lack of any laboratory support for these associations provide only marginal, scientific support that exposure to this agent is causing any degree of harm. The National Institutes of Health has a brochure available on-line.

The National Academies of Science has said: there is no conclusive evidence that electromagnetic fields play a role in the development of cancer, reproductive and developmental abnormalities, or learning and behavioral problems.

Finally, there has been no replicable scientific study that has shown a cause-and-effect relationship between EMF and cancer. In science, initial studies can indicate many things, but unless the results can be replicated by other scientists, they are not to be relied upon as truth.

Reviews of EMF science from 1977 through 2005 are available to provide further information.”

Another 3rd party site that provides good information is found at the Medical College of Wisconsin website.