TVA is in the process of construction a new high voltage power line through a portion of north east Loudon County. Below is the information on the process and also a link to the map of the proposed rout of the line. Looks like several property owners will be effected.

You might want to see if your property will be involved.

Background information:

LCUB currently provides distribution service in and around the Hardin Valley area with the Solway 161-kV Station.  The Solway 161-kV Station is soon projected to exceed its capacity.  In addition, the distribution lines supplying the Hardin Valley area are becoming overloaded due to steady growth in the area.  Further, the nearby Watt Road and Karns 161-kV Stations are heavily loaded and do not have significant ties to the area to shift load from the Solway Station.  The Hardin Valley area is the fastest growing area in Knox County, with a population growth rate averaging about 3.9 percent from 1990 to 2017.  Construction of new homes in the area has increased significantly since 2012, with an average of 220 new dwellings annually from 2012 to 2017, and that number continues to rise over the last 3 years.  In order for LCUB to continue to provide reliable and quality power, upgrades to the distribution system are essential.

Building the Hardin Valley 161-kV Station would resolve capacity issues at the Solway 161-kV Station by allowing load to be transferred from this station to the new Hardin Valley Station.  Additionally, the new Hardin Valley Station would provide enhanced reliability due to a reduced amount of distribution line exposure.

TVA’s new line will begin at a point between TVA’s Watt Road-Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Fort Loudoun-Watt Road 161-kV double-circuit Transmission Lines and will end at the new Hardin Valley Station on Marietta Church Road in Knoxville.

A map is available at Hardin Valley Preferred Route Map

The transmission line would consist primarily of steel, single-pole structures centered on new 100-foot-wide right of way.

Approximately 40 parcels (37 property owners) would be affected by the project.

Construction is scheduled to begin in winter 2022-2023, and the line should be in service in summer 2023. 

A virtual open house was held from October 22 through November 23, 2020, and accessed by 121 people.  During this 30-day comment period, property owners and members of the public were able to submit questions and comments.  Following the receipt of public input, the alternative route segments were evaluated.

TVA plans its transmission system according to industry-wide, accepted North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) standards.

In keeping with TVA’s environmental stewardship, appropriate National Environmental Policy Act review will be conducted.

Identifying a preferred route

TVA’s goal is to identify a solution that minimizes impacts to homeowners, property owners, existing environmental and historical features, and planned development, while meeting the needs of the power system and keeping the overall project cost within reason.

TVA evaluated each route using the same social, environmental and engineering considerations and public input. 

Information sources include available data, aerial photography, limited onsite reviews, public review and comment, and property owner input.

TVA is committed to working with area stakeholders to address concerns during the course of the project. 

Next steps

Property owners who would be directly affected by the preferred transmission line route will be notified by letter. 

TVA will follow-up with phone calls to answer questions and coordinate access for environmental and engineering surveys. 

·Surveys of the right of way are scheduled to begin in winter 2021-2022.

·Easement purchases are scheduled to begin in summer 2022.

·Construction is scheduled to begin in winter 2022-2023.

·The line is scheduled to be in service in summer 2023.

TVA strives to be among the nations’ leaders in electric service reliability.  Since 2000, the TVA system has delivered power to its customers with 99.999 percent reliability.

TVA has an obligation to ensure reliability of the power supply throughout its service area.

Updated information:

·TVA will build 5.4 miles of single-circuit transmission line. 

·The new line will provide power to the new Hardin Valley 161-kV Station planned by Lenoir City Utilities Board (LCUB). 

·The new line will begin at a point between TVA’s Watt Road-Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Fort Loudoun-Watt Road 161-kV double-circuit Transmission Lines.  The line will then extend northeast to LCUB’s new Hardin Valley 161-kV Station at 2007 Marietta Church Road in Knoxville.

·The preferred location for the new line was selected from several options presented online at a virtual open house from October 22 through November 23, 2020.  Based on public input and evaluation, the preferred route is expected to have the least overall project impacts of the alternatives.

·The preferred route is alternative Route 33 which consists of Tap Point 3 and alternative Segments 3, 4, 20, 21, 7, 14, 15, and 16. 

·During the comment period, TVA learned of a large commercial development planned for the area between the intersection of I-75/I-40 and Buttermilk Road.  As a result, two new segments were added and the following adjustments were made to the network of alternatives before analysis and selection of the preferred route.

A new segment, 20, was added to lessen the encroachment on the development in the vicinity of Segments 4 and 5.

This resulted in Segments 1 and 4 being shortened and the need to add Segments 21 and 22.  

·TVA will work with property owners to obtain easements for construction, operation, and maintenance of the line.  Property owners are compensated for the transmission line easement at fair market value.  When easement is acquired, property owners retain possession of the property.