Energy corridors proposed across public lands in West
Energy corridors proposed across public lands in West
By MATTHEW BROWN
Asscociated Press Writer
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 11.16.2007
BILLINGS, Mont. - The Bush administration is proposing more than 6,000 miles of "energy corridors" for future pipelines and transmission lines in the West, crossing dozens of sensitive areas including national monuments, recreation areas and scenic rivers.
Federal officials say the 3,500-foot-wide corridors are needed to keep pace with the electricity demands of a swelling population and the region's increasing oil and gas production.
"That's where a significant amount of our industrial and consumer growth is going to happen in the United States — in the West and Southwest," said Department of Energy spokesman Jonathan Shradar. "Demand for electricity will increase and on the federal lands these corridors will be sufficient to meet that demand."
The plan, developed over two years, would affect federal lands in 11 western states. It was released Nov. 8 by the Departments of Interior, Energy, Agriculture, Commerce and Defense.
Environmental groups say the plan would allow industrial projects to be carved through some of the most scenic open lands in the country. That includes proposed routes through portions of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah, the foothills of the Organ Mountains in New Mexico and Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area in Wyoming.
"On a map these look like clean, sterile lines going from point A to point B," said Liz Thomas with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. "You get on the ground, it's not like that. There are canyons in the way, rivers, pueblo sites, national parks, national monuments, people's favorite hiking and hunting areas."
Critics also say the plan does not adequately account for an emerging shift in the nation's energy policy — away from conventional fossil fuels and toward renewables like wind and solar power. They say this could change where future power lines are needed.
Congress directed the administration to identify the corridors in its 2005 energy bill. The project is a year behind schedule.
Nevada would have the longest corridors, totaling 1,630 miles, followed by California with 814 and Arizona with 644.
In Arizona, the corridors are expected to radiate from central Phoenix and run through the Tonto, Apache-Sitgreaves, Kaibab and Coronado national forests. One corridor is planned to extend across the Utah state line and several others stretch across the western half of the state.
Almost two-thirds, or about 3,700 miles, are proposed along existing road or utility right of ways. Those would be widened in many cases to allow for a dramatic expansion of infrastructure — as many as nine large transmission lines or 29 natural gas pipelines in each corridor.
Demand for electricity in the West is projected to increase by about 20 percent over the next decade, according to the Western Electricity Coordinating Council. On the supply side, booming oil and gas production in places like Wyoming has outpaced new pipeline construction. That has caused bottlenecks that the government blames for sharp fluctuations in natural gas prices.
Within the new corridors, construction of transmission lines and pipelines would remain the job of the private sector. Yet such projects would face a streamlined regulatory process, and could be approved more quickly than under existing rules, Shradar said.
State laws and regulations still would apply to projects crossing nonfederal land.
In the past, however, those local hurdles have been minimal compared to getting approval from federal land managers, said Doug Larson, executive director of the Western Interstate Energy Board.
Larson said the creation of new corridors would "send a signal" to potential developers that they can expect easier approval if they follow the federal routes. He added that by designating corridors ahead of time, controversies over environmental or other impacts can be hashed out in advance instead of on a project-by-project basis.
Environmental groups conceded the draft plan was an improvement over prior versions. Those gave little regard to the type of landscape the corridors passed through. In the latest draft, for example, the number of national parks, monuments and recreation areas crossed dropped from 29 to 12. The number of national wildlife refuge crossings dropped from 15 to 3.
Heather Feeney with the federal Bureau of Land Management, one of the lead agencies involved, said it was impossible to avoid environmentally sensitive areas altogether.
But by designating corridors, she said, the government hoped to "bundle future projects so they're not totally scattered across the landscape."
Public meetings on the proposed plan begin January 8, with meetings scheduled throughout the West. After the end of a 90-day public comment period on Feb. 14, the agencies involved will move "fairly aggressively" to adopt a final plan by the fall of 2008, Shradar said.
http://tinyurl.com/28ekm3
By MATTHEW BROWN
Asscociated Press Writer
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 11.16.2007
BILLINGS, Mont. - The Bush administration is proposing more than 6,000 miles of "energy corridors" for future pipelines and transmission lines in the West, crossing dozens of sensitive areas including national monuments, recreation areas and scenic rivers.
Federal officials say the 3,500-foot-wide corridors are needed to keep pace with the electricity demands of a swelling population and the region's increasing oil and gas production.
"That's where a significant amount of our industrial and consumer growth is going to happen in the United States — in the West and Southwest," said Department of Energy spokesman Jonathan Shradar. "Demand for electricity will increase and on the federal lands these corridors will be sufficient to meet that demand."
The plan, developed over two years, would affect federal lands in 11 western states. It was released Nov. 8 by the Departments of Interior, Energy, Agriculture, Commerce and Defense.
Environmental groups say the plan would allow industrial projects to be carved through some of the most scenic open lands in the country. That includes proposed routes through portions of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah, the foothills of the Organ Mountains in New Mexico and Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area in Wyoming.
"On a map these look like clean, sterile lines going from point A to point B," said Liz Thomas with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. "You get on the ground, it's not like that. There are canyons in the way, rivers, pueblo sites, national parks, national monuments, people's favorite hiking and hunting areas."
Critics also say the plan does not adequately account for an emerging shift in the nation's energy policy — away from conventional fossil fuels and toward renewables like wind and solar power. They say this could change where future power lines are needed.
Congress directed the administration to identify the corridors in its 2005 energy bill. The project is a year behind schedule.
Nevada would have the longest corridors, totaling 1,630 miles, followed by California with 814 and Arizona with 644.
In Arizona, the corridors are expected to radiate from central Phoenix and run through the Tonto, Apache-Sitgreaves, Kaibab and Coronado national forests. One corridor is planned to extend across the Utah state line and several others stretch across the western half of the state.
Almost two-thirds, or about 3,700 miles, are proposed along existing road or utility right of ways. Those would be widened in many cases to allow for a dramatic expansion of infrastructure — as many as nine large transmission lines or 29 natural gas pipelines in each corridor.
Demand for electricity in the West is projected to increase by about 20 percent over the next decade, according to the Western Electricity Coordinating Council. On the supply side, booming oil and gas production in places like Wyoming has outpaced new pipeline construction. That has caused bottlenecks that the government blames for sharp fluctuations in natural gas prices.
Within the new corridors, construction of transmission lines and pipelines would remain the job of the private sector. Yet such projects would face a streamlined regulatory process, and could be approved more quickly than under existing rules, Shradar said.
State laws and regulations still would apply to projects crossing nonfederal land.
In the past, however, those local hurdles have been minimal compared to getting approval from federal land managers, said Doug Larson, executive director of the Western Interstate Energy Board.
Larson said the creation of new corridors would "send a signal" to potential developers that they can expect easier approval if they follow the federal routes. He added that by designating corridors ahead of time, controversies over environmental or other impacts can be hashed out in advance instead of on a project-by-project basis.
Environmental groups conceded the draft plan was an improvement over prior versions. Those gave little regard to the type of landscape the corridors passed through. In the latest draft, for example, the number of national parks, monuments and recreation areas crossed dropped from 29 to 12. The number of national wildlife refuge crossings dropped from 15 to 3.
Heather Feeney with the federal Bureau of Land Management, one of the lead agencies involved, said it was impossible to avoid environmentally sensitive areas altogether.
But by designating corridors, she said, the government hoped to "bundle future projects so they're not totally scattered across the landscape."
Public meetings on the proposed plan begin January 8, with meetings scheduled throughout the West. After the end of a 90-day public comment period on Feb. 14, the agencies involved will move "fairly aggressively" to adopt a final plan by the fall of 2008, Shradar said.
http://tinyurl.com/28ekm3
bin66 - 20. Nov, 01:02
