Power line eyed to meet growing electrical demand

The preferred route for a proposed Tennessee Valley Authority power line connection from an existing transmission line to the southeast edge of Redstone Arsenal property to serve a new primary substation on post will be announced in the late spring or summer, a TVA spokesperson said. 

TVA is considering improvements to its transmission system that would provide power for growing load and increase power reliability in the Redstone Arsenal and Huntsville areas served by Huntsville Utilities.

“This project is TVA’s third power line to serve Redstone Arsenal,” Scott Fiedler, with TVA media relations, said. “Redstone Arsenal is expecting a 23 megawatt increase in load by 2025 ramping up to a potential 39 megawatt increase by the 2026-2027 timeframe.”  

The new 161-kilovolt power line would stretch less than five miles and be built using primarily single-pole, steel structures on a new 100-foot-wide right of way, according to the TVA. Construction is scheduled to begin in fall 2025, and the project is expected to be in service in spring 2026. The dates are subject to change. 

“TVA works to minimize any impacts,” Fiedler said. “None of the alternatives impact residential areas. Some of the alternatives have a small impact on commercial areas.” 

The appropriate National Environmental Policy Act review will be conducted to ensure that the environmental impacts are minimized, according to the TVA, and efforts are made during the siting process to avoid or minimize impacts to flood plains and wetlands in accordance with executive orders dealing with flood plain management and protection of wetlands. 

An open house for the public was held March 21 at the Redstone Gateway conference center for TVA staff to answer questions about the project and display detailed maps showing the different locations being considered for the proposed transmission line. TVA also provided a virtual open house through Monday. 

Redstone will build a new primary substation to provide necessary additional electrical capacity to support growing facilities and infrastructure on the Arsenal, Jake Roth, chief of master planning at the Garrison’s Directorate of Public Works, said. “The new substation is an Army Military Construction project that is currently in design but expected to be released for construction contract bid later this summer and officially awarded later this year,” he said. 

The substation will be located at the southwest corner of the Mills and Patton roads intersection and will include electrical linework necessary to tie the new station into the existing electrical grid and provide capability to support electrical power demands across the post, according to Roth. 

“Additionally, as the Army continues to focus on resiliency and reliability of utility services, Redstone Arsenal DPW is working with TVA to determine the feasibility of providing another primary power feed to support Redstone and further secure Redstone’s ability to provide 24/7 electrical power to DOD (Department of Defense) and federal partners supporting missions across the globe,” he said. 

“This project represents years of effort in planning and resourcing growth and development of new tenants and missions at Redstone Arsenal,” Roth said. “This substation will be a significant milestone in providing for the Arsenal’s anticipated electrical demand for many years into the future.  

“We are currently finishing up necessary environmental documentation to support the project activity and ensure we protect unique resources located here on Redstone and perform construction in ways that mitigate and lessen impacts to wildlife and protect other cultural resources.”  

Roth said a Redstone DPW electrical engineer, David Washburn, has been instrumental in the layout and design of this new power station. 

“His expertise has been critical to the successful design of the project, and he will work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to manage the effort through the construction process,” he said. 

The region is growing three times faster than the national average, TVA’s Fiedler said, noting that the University of Tennessee’s Baker Center completed a study in February that suggests the region’s population will grow by 22% by 2050. 

“Moving forward, TVA is investing about $15 billion in additional capital expenditures over just the next three years alone to keep up with demand. This is in addition to the nearly $3 billion in transmission system improvements through 2027 alone.”