Print

June 1, 2009

Community Advisory Process Underway For B2H Project

Project advisory teams in Ontario and Boardman, Oregon met to kick off Idaho Power’s Community Advisory Process (CAP) for the Boardman to Hemingway transmission project.  One more kick-off meeting is scheduled for June 4 in Baker City.

“We’ve had good participation at these meetings – nearly all team members have attended, they’re actively involved in the meetings and we’re getting sense of real interest in finding a workable solution for a line route,” said CAP project leader Kent McCarthy.

Project advisory teams represent three geographic areas for the project in eastern Oregon and southwest Idaho – north, central and south – to identify issues and concerns and lead the process of recommending routes.  The teams include community members, local, state and federal agencies, business owners, environmental representatives and other interested parties. 

At this first round of meetings, team members learned about the purpose and need for the project, work done to-date, and how the community advisory process will work.  They later went into three working groups, facilitated by consultant team RBCI of Boise, and began to identify issues and concerns about the project.

“During subsequent meetings they’ll learn more about electric infrastructure, permitting, siting and environmental processes, and identify their goals and criteria for siting the line,” McCarthy said.  “Later they’ll work through a mapping exercise where they share ideas, working within the goals and criteria, to collaborate on potential line routes.”

Later this summer Idaho Power will convene a Project Coordinating Team (PCT) made up of members from the project advisory teams. The PCT will bring  together the work of each team and ensure the route transitions smoothly between geographic areas.

Public open houses will be held during the community advisory process to share progress and outcomes of the project advisory teams and to get feedback and ideas from the public.

Idaho Power proposes building the approximately 300-mile transmission line between Boardman, Oregon and Hemingway Substation near Melba, Idaho, to increase capacity in the region and improve reliability for area customers. Maps and additional information are available at www.boardmantohemingway.com.