TransWest urged to ‘do the right thing’ on eminent domain in Moffat County
“With the approval of TransWest’s conditional use permit Tuesday, Feb. 19, by the Moffat County Board of County Commissioners, a cross-country electric transmission line some nine years in the making is getting closer to beginning construction in northwestern Moffat County.
The massive proposed electric infrastructure project could bring 3,000 megawatts of wind-generated energy across Wyoming, Moffat County, Utah, and Nevada.
Though at least two landowners attended Tuesday’s BOCC meeting to protest TransWest’s conditional use permit, commissioners approved the permit under the stipulation TransWest would secure the proper agreements with all 17 remaining landowners in Moffat County before beginning construction.
“We will never start construction until we acquire the legal rights to do so,” said Garry Miller, vice president of land and environmental affairs for TransWest.
Miller gave commissioners and the public a presentation Tuesday outlining plans and the timeline for construction. Miller explained TransWest had to wait some eight years for an environmental impact study by the Bureau of Land Management for easements on federally managed land. TransWest is also building special steel pole transmission structures to accommodate any sage-grouse territory.
“They are requiring we use that for about 11 miles of the route,” Miller said of the path across BLM land.”
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Thorp, Clay. Craig Press 19 February 2019.