HomeMy WebLinkAbout20140533.tiff HEARING CERTIFICATION
DOCKET NO. 2014-07
RE: A SITE SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND USE BY SPECIAL REVIEW PERMIT,
USR13-0054, FOR A MAJOR FACILITY OF A PUBLIC UTILITY (TWO (2) 115KV
TRANSMISSION LINES EXTENDING APPROXIMATELY 24.7 MILES AND TWO (2)
SUBSTATIONS - KEOTA AT THE WEST TERMINAL AND REDTAIL AT THE EAST
TERMINAL) AND ONE (1) 250-FOOT TELECOMMUNICATION TOWER LOCATED AT
THE KEOTA SUBSTATION IN THE A (AGRICULTURAL) ZONE DISTRICT - TRI-
STATE GENERATION AND TRANSMISSION, INC.
A public hearing was conducted on February 26, 2014, at 10:00 a.m., with the following present:
Commissioner Douglas Rademacher, Chair
Commissioner Barbara Kirkmeyer, Pro-Tem
Commissioner Sean P. Conway
Commissioner Mike Freeman
Commissioner William F. Garcia
Also present:
Acting Clerk to the Board, Susan Brown
Assistant County Attorney, Brad Yatabe
Planning Department representative, Kim Ogle
Public Works representative, Don Carroll
Health Department representative, Lauren Light
The following business was transacted:
O I hereby certify that pursuant to a notice dated January 16, 2014, and duly published
January 21, 2014, in the Greeley Tribune, a public hearing was conducted to consider the
request of Tri-State Generation and Transmission, Inc., for a Site Specific Development Plan
and Use by Special Review Permit, USR13-0054, for a Major Facility of a Public Utility (two (2)
115kV Transmission Lines extending approximately 24.7 miles and two (2) substations — Keota
at the west terminal and Redtail at the east terminal) and one (1) 250-foot Telecommunication
Tower located at the Keota Substation in the A (Agricultural) Zone District. Brad Yatabe,
Assistant County Attorney, made this a matter of record.
Kim Ogle, Department of Planning Services, presented a brief summary of the proposal,
entered the favorable recommendation of the Planning Commission into the record as written,
and reviewed the location and surrounding land use. He reviewed four possible routes and
noted the preferred route will not disturb any parcel currently held under a conservation
easement and will not come within .5 miles of a residence. He noted Colorado Parks and
Wildlife also requested a route that did not cross the Chalk Bluffs, although one letter was
received in support of a line across the bluff, and showed a diagram of the transmission towers,
with measurements. Mr. Ogle reviewed the referrals; the Colorado Department of Fish and
Wildlife indicated no concerns with this route; however, the Department of Planning Services
received a letter from BP Wind Energy, expressing concern over potential loss of revenue from
shutting down the Cedar Creek Wind Farm, and the Departments of Public Works and
Environmental Health had conditions with their referral responses. Mr. Ogle showed images of
the preferred route sites.
CO ( R,P� PW , t� (3 aO 2014-0533
i PL2257
HEARING CERTIFICATION - TRI-STATE GENERATION AND TRANSMISSION, INC.
(USR13-0054)
PAGE 2
O Don Carroll, Department of Public Works, provided a brief overview of the transportation
plans and requirements. He said the appropriate permits were pulled for right-of-way for
crossing county roads, as well as special transport permits for the larger sections of the towers.
He noted additional right-of-way on CR 390, and reviewed access points to two staging areas at
the substations and at CRs 104 and 390. He also reviewed traffic during construction and noted
that they do cross three main drainages (creeks), and will likely span those crossings.
O Lauren Light, Department of Public Health and Environment, reviewed the water and
sewer provisions, with no outstanding issues.
IR Selina Koler, Senior Transmission Siting and Environmental Planner, representing Tri-
State Generation and Transmission, Inc., explained they are a non-profit wholesale electric
company and reviewed the member cooperatives (each of which has a member on the Board).
Tri-State has a four-state service area, 1.5 million customers, and 355 miles of transmission
lines, and she showed a map of these lines and their intersect. She noted Morgan County REA
and High West Energy provide services to Northeastern Colorado. She noted any delays will
directly impact customers, and there is no alternative to serve these customers except to build
new transmission lines. She showed an example of what the structures will look like, and said
they changed to a double circuit to accommodate future growth, there will be 222-226 total
structures, 60-100 feet tall, and 13 landowners will be affected by the preferred route (the least
amount of the possible routes). 0 Steve Gray, Tri-State representative, confirmed the
previous routes to the north affected 27 landowners, who were already impacted by the Cedar
Creek line; every land-owner was contacted on all the proposed routes, and at that time Tri-
State was informed of multiple conservation easements - of specific concern was raptor nesting
habitat on the west of the Chalk Bluffs. As requests to stay off of those bluffs were unanimous,
they began negotiations with owners along the south route. There is an adjustment (a jog) in the
southeast corner to accommodate one owner which did not want the line crossing his land. He
said the other landowners are not opposed, primarily because they have mineral interests and
an economic interest in the service the line provides. In addition, the fact no one is is present to
speak in opposition reflects their good faith outreach to the community. In response to
Chair Rademacher, Mr. Gray said they spoke in person with every owner, and with some
ranchers half a dozen times. re Ms. Koler also stated that Colorado Parks and Wildlife did not
want a crossing to the west/south, and Tri-State could not share the wind farm's easement so it
would cause additional disturbance.
0 Noel Pace, a surrounding property owner, showed on the map where he preferred the line
to go and reviewed the reasons why and objected to the visual impact of the lines on his view of
the Pawnee Buttes. He also expressed the opinion that a million watts seems excessive.
Commissioner Rademacher stated Tri-State is getting higher capacity in order to be ready for
the future without having to repeat this process.
O Jim Borgel, Holland and Hart, representing BP Wind Energy, Inc., as a partner in the
Cedar Creek II Wind Farm, reminded the Board of a previous hearing requesting a USR change
2014-0533
PL2257
HEARING CERTIFICATION - TRI-STATE GENERATION AND TRANSMISSION, INC.
(USR13-0054)
PAGE 3
for that farm conditioned upon the approval of this permit; they have reviewed that amendment
and are comfortable with that. The other issue raised regarded a proper crossing agreement;
this will now need to cross the Cedar Creek transmission line, and Cedar Creek provides 23%
of the alternative power in the State of Colorado (400 turbines), so any problem with the
transmission line would have significant ramifications. He said they are concerned with the
need for a shut-down (as long as four days) for construction, which could cost them as much as
500,000 dollars a day, and are asking for a Condition of Approval stating a satisfactory crossing
agreement needs to be in place prior to construction.
Terry Brey, Noble Energy, Inc., stated Noble's full support of this project; he said they are
building an LNG Plant which, at full capacity, will produce 100,000 gallons per day, reducing the
diesel consumption of their rigs and taking the emissions equivalent of 100,000 cars off the
roads, per day.
e Ms. Koler addressed Mr. Pace's suggestions, noting there is no power source in New
Raymer. Mr. Brey addressed BP's request for a crossing agreement, stating the transmission
line is not owned by the wind farm, and, that, in fact, that line was built under the Tri-State line
and required a license agreement from them. He asserted that crossing agreements are a
matter of course, outages happen often and would be coordinated. He therefore asked that no
Condition of Approval be added, and said that BP needs to negotiate with Public Service
Company and Indigen in regard to that. In response to Commissioner Conway, he confirmed
this is not an extraordinary request by any means. Ms. Koler clarified they are requesting a
two-day outage within a four-day window and would do that in coordination with the wind farm to
impact delivery of energy as little as possible. a In response to Chair Rademacher, Ms.
Koler said these are self-supporting towers without guidewires, the footprint is 600 square feet
around each tower, and each area will be re-seeded with native flora.
El After a short recess, in response to Commissioner Kirkmeyer's earlier question, Ms. Koler
said they will be in the upper or lower 6 gigahertz band (which will not interfere with public safety
communications). G Commissioner Kirkmeyer noted a grammar error/correction in
Development Standard #4, and requested the insertion of "and they do not interfere with public
safety communications," in Development Standard #20.
ki In response to Chair Rademacher, Ms. Koler indicated she and the applicant have
reviewed, and agree to abide by, the Conditions of Approval and Development Standards, as
amended.
El Commissioner Conway moved to approve the request of Tri-State Generation and
Transmission, Inc., for a Site Specific Development Plan and Use by Special Review Permit,
USR13-0054, for a Major Facility of a Public Utility (two (2) 115kV Transmission Lines extending
approximately 24.7 miles and two (2) substations — Keota at the west terminal and Redtail at the
east terminal) and one (1) 250-foot Telecommunication Tower located at the Keota Substation
in the A (Agricultural) Zone District, based on the recommendations of Planning staff and the
Planning Commission, with the Conditions of Approval and Development Standards as
2014-0533
PL2257
HEARING CERTIFICATION - TRI-STATE GENERATION AND TRANSMISSION, INC.
(USR13-0054)
PAGE 4
amended and entered into the record. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Kirkmeyer,
and it carried unanimously. There being no further discussion, the hearing was completed at
11:13 a.m.
Commissioner Conway noted this is an important project and demonstrates Weld County is the
center of energy production in Colorado. He commended Tri-State for their presentation to the
Planning Commission and their good faith negotiations around routing decisions.
Commissioner Rademacher said he was pleased they are looking to the future in terms of
capacity.
This Certification was approved on the 3rd day of March, 2014.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
WELD COUNTY, COLORADO
ATTEST: wr�J_;v c,„e, (et, awry ,‘,‘s4,‘,‘s4--)�-
`C// " /� Douglq Rademacher, Chair
Weld County Clerk to the Board 1/ ,
Barbara Kirkmeye, , Pro-Tem/
BY: A A000
Dep r Clerk to the Board
( ' I y� Sean P. Conway
x'36' ��a Mike
�Freeman
%"I
/
. ,,
Wil iam F. Garcia
2014-0533
PL2257
r
a. J J % r')N j n/1 '-
40
t •r� v
�} 3
— C I i
3 H .
cn , •••J c
ILI
i-‘. ._ I '-&(\4
1-,.
W S '.) 'I 's
u 3 tiv
z �� -
ok 4 = �'
Z
V
W S
L
I- Ili
QCr CZ
S..S.J u
c.-z9
W s q.
J
}
r' if
Il-
i mm^�
�y V
w
I-
J Ai—
re
Z �
iv-
J 4
a _,
z
(j `-
Hello