APPENDIX F TransWest Express Transmission Project Jurisdictional Meeting Materials and Communications
Appendix F-1—Jurisdictional Meeting Materials
Appendix F-2—Notice of Jurisdiction
Appendix F-3—Fee Statement
Appendix F-4—2019 Application Submittal Supplemental Information
Wyoming Industrial Development Information and Siting Act Section 109 Permit Application – TransWest Express LLC
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Wyoming Industrial Development Information and Siting Act Section 109 Permit Application – TransWest Express LLC
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APPENDIX F-1
Jurisdictional Meeting Materials
Wyoming Industrial Development Information and Siting Act Section 109 Permit Application – TransWest Express LLC
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Wyoming Industrial Development Information and Siting Act Section 109 Permit Application – TransWest Express LLC
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WYOMING INDUSTRIAL
SITING DIVISION
TransWest Express Transmission Project
Jurisdictional Meeting Materials
April 20, 2018
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REQUIRED INFORMATION
A. Project Name
TransWest Express Transmission Project
B. Applicant
TransWest Express LLC
C. Applicant Point of Contact for Application Development
Garry L. Miller Vice President, Land and Environmental Affairs TransWest Express LLC 555 Seventeenth Street, Suite 2400 Denver, CO 80202 (303) 299-1546 E-mail: [email protected]
D. Applicant’s Wyoming Attorney
Hickey & Evans, LLP Paul J. Hickey, Partner 1800 Carey Avenue, Suite 700 Cheyenne, WY 82003 (307) 634-1525 E-mail: [email protected]
E. Applicant’s Consultant and Point of Contact
SWCA Environmental Consultants David Fetter Project Manager 2120 S. College Ave, Suite 2 Ft Collins, CO 80525 (970) 988-7013 E-mail: [email protected]
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F. Project Description
The TransWest Express Transmission Project (“TWE Project”) is a high voltage transmission system that will extend across four states from south-central Wyoming to Southern Nevada. The TWE Project will include 730 miles of transmission line and three terminals located in Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada. The system will be capable of transmitting 3,000 MW of electric energy (enough energy to power more than 1,800,000 homes), and will incorporate both high voltage direct current (HVDC) and high voltage alternating current (HVAC) technology. The HVDC segment of the system will transmit power from Wyoming and across Colorado to Utah with maximum efficiency, and the HVAC system will transmit power from Utah to southern Nevada with the flexibility to connect with other systems along the route. Converter stations in both Wyoming and Utah will allow the TWE Project’s HVDC system to interconnect with other HVAC systems, including PacifiCorp’s existing Platte-Point of Rock line, PacifiCorp’s planned Energy Gateway West Segment line, and Power Company of Wyoming’s Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project. A detailed description of the TWE Project’s technical components is attached as Exhibit 1.
In Wyoming, the TWE Project will include the Northern Terminal, an associated ground electrode, and a converter station, all in Carbon County near the town of Sinclair. In addition, about 93 miles of transmission line will extend west and south from the Northern Terminal to the Colorado state line, crossing portions of both Carbon and Sweetwater Counties.
G. Project Location Map
A map of the TWE Project as a whole is attached as Exhibit 2, and a map of the Wyoming segment is attached as Exhibit 3.
H. Preliminary Site Plan
A preliminary site plan for the Northern Terminal area is attached as Exhibit 4.
I. Land Ownership and Status of Federal Permitting
Within Wyoming, much of the TWE Project (including the Northern Terminal, ground electrode, converter station, and about two-thirds of the Transmission Line) will be located in the ownership region known as the “checkerboard,” where land ownership alternates between private lands, federal lands managed by the BLM, and state lands administered by the State Land Board and/or the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. The remainder of the TWE Project will be located mostly on federal lands managed by the BLM.
In total, within Wyoming, about 54% of the Project is located on federal lands managed by the BLM, about 12% are on state lands, and about 33% are on private lands. The proposed Northern Terminal and converter station will be located on 180 acres of private land owned by The Overland Trail Cattle Company LLC about three miles southwest of the Town of Sinclair, Wyoming. The associated ground electrode will be located about eight miles south of the
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terminal on state land. Exhibit 5 provides a more detailed summary of land ownership in the Wyoming project area.
Major land uses in the Wyoming project area include oil and gas production and livestock grazing. The only industrial uses are the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project in Carbon County and a few industrial uses along the Interstate 80 corridor. Agricultural production consists of irrigated pasture and hay land, generally limited to the valley floors north of Baggs, Wyoming.
Due to the Project’s use of BLM land, TransWest applied for the necessary BLM Right-of-Way in 2007. The BLM and Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) jointly conducted an extensive environmental analysis that culminated in the publication of a Final Environmental Impact Statement on April 30, 2015. BLM and WAPA issued Records of Decision (RODs) on December 13, 2016 and January 17, 2017, respectively, selecting the route for the Project. In compliance with the BLM ROD, TransWest is now in the process of developing segment- specific Plans of Development (PODs) for approval by various BLM field offices. The segment- specific PODs will establish the final Project design as well as processes and procedures for environmental compliance with the ROD in each segment of the Project. The BLM’s Wyoming State Office and Rawlins Field Office will be responsible for reviewing and approving the POD for Wyoming.
J. Project Schedule
Construction of the Wyoming segment of the Transmission Line and the Northern Terminal will proceed independently.
With respect to the Transmission Line, TransWest expects that construction will start in 2020 and will take about 18 months during 2020 and 2021, including four months with little or no activity over the winter.
With respect to the Northern Terminal, TransWest expects that construction will proceed in two stages. In Stage 1, TransWest will build a fully operational terminal with 1,500 MW capacity, as well as the ground electrode and converter station. In Stage 2, TransWest will upgrade the terminal’s capacity to 3,000 MW. Stage 1 construction will start about three to six months after the Transmission Line construction starts and will take about three years. Stage 2 construction will start up to three years after the completion of Stage 1.
TransWest expects that construction of the entire Wyoming segment of the TWE Project will take about six years. A more detailed summary of the anticipated construction schedule is attached as Exhibit 6.
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K. Project Cost Estimate
TransWest estimates that the Wyoming components of the TWE Project will cost $1,188,000,000, easily exceeding the Section 109 jurisdictional threshold. Further details about the TWE Project cost estimate are attached as Exhibit 7.
L. Project Legal Description
A legal description of the proposed Wyoming segment of the TWE Project is attached as Exhibit 8.
M. Physical Location for Receipt of Materials
Materials will be received at staging sites in unincorporated Carbon and Sweetwater Counties, Wyoming.
N. Project Phases
TransWest does not plan future phases for the TWE Project.
O. Anticipated Application Delivery Date
TransWest anticipates submitting a Section 109 Application in October, 2018.
P. Water Uses, Volume, and Supply
The TWE Project will require water both during construction and for operations. During construction, water will be needed to control dust generated by grading, road building, and site work; and to make concrete foundations for buildings and transmission towers. TransWest estimates that it will use about 48 acre feet of water for construction. During operations, water will be needed in the Northern Terminal office facilities and for HVDC evaporative cooling and misting systems. TransWest estimates that it will need about one acre-foot for operations.
TransWest will procure the required water supply through water use agreements with landowners holding existing water rights, from commercial sources, and/or from municipal sources. TransWest will utilize existing water rights and no there will be no new depletions.
Q. County Land Use Permits
The TWE Project will require a Conditional Use Permit from Carbon County, and a Zoning Permit for Construction or Alteration from Sweetwater County. TransWest expects to apply for both permits within the next three months.
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R. Socio-Economic Data and Recommended Study Area
With the help of an economist, Ron Dutton of Sammons/Dutton Economics, TransWest has performed an initial assessment of the areas in Wyoming likely to be affected by the TWE Project. For purposes of the jurisdictional meeting, that assessment focused on the housing needs of the Project’s work force. A summary of Mr. Dutton’s assessment and findings is attached as Exhibit 9. As further explained in Exhibit 9, TransWest recommends that the ISD consider defining a Study Area located in Carbon and Sweetwater Counties.
S. DEQ Air Quality Permit
Air emissions from Project construction and operation will be subject to the WDEQ – Air Quality Division Standards and Regulations, and specifically, the permitting requirements set forth in Chapter 6 of these regulations. TransWest anticipates using portable batch plants to make concrete during Project construction, which will require an operating permit, with emissions limitation, issued by the State of Wyoming. The construction contractor(s) will obtain all necessary air quality permits required during the construction process. TransWest does not anticipate needing any air quality permits to operate the transmission system.
T. Section 107 or Section 109 Preference
TransWest prefers to pursue the Section 109 permit process.
EXHIBITS
1. Technical Report on Project Components and Design 2. TWE Project Map, Entire Project 3. TWE Project Map, Wyoming Segment 4. Preliminary Site Plan, Northern Terminal 5. Summary of Land Ownership in Wyoming Project Area 6. Anticipated Construction Schedule 7. Wyoming Segment Cost Estimate 8. Wyoming Segment Legal Description 9. Summary of Initial Socio-Economic Assessment and Study Area Recommendation
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EXHIBIT 1
Technical Report on Project Components and Design Project Components The primary design components of the TransWest Express Transmission Project (“TWE Project”) are the Transmission Line structures, terminals, ground electrode facilities, communications systems, and access roads. The anticipated design features of each of these components are summarized below. The below description is based on the current Project design and may be modified or revised in the future as new information is made available. Transmission Line Structures Structure Types There are three main structure types for the TWE Project Transmission Line: (1) tangent structures; (2) angle structures; and (3) dead end structures. Tangent structures are used in straight line segments and are the most common type of structure and make up the vast majority of the structures on a line; often 80 to 90 percent. Angle structures are used when a transmission line changes direction up to a specified threshold line angle (commonly 30 degrees). Dead-end or strain structures are typically needed for extremely long spans, when the line angle exceeds the threshold of an angle structure, in highly varied terrain which can create uplift conditions, or when there is a need for a failure containment structure. Dead-end structures are structures where the conductors are separated and connected together (electrically) by a jumper. Angle and dead- end structures must resist much larger loads and therefore are much stronger/heavier and require much larger diameters and deeper foundations than do tangent structures. The TWE Project Transmission Line will be constructed primarily with guyed lattice tangent structures (Figure 1) and self-supporting steel lattice angle and dead-end structures with a total of 366 structures extending over 93 miles in Wyoming. There will be 13 structures associated with the 230 kV interconnection at the Northern Terminal, crossing approximately two miles. The guyed lattice tangent structure shown on Figure 1 was selected as the proposed tangent design for most locations due to its smaller disturbance area, constructability, and overall cost considerations. Self-supporting steel lattice angle and dead-end structures (Figure 2) would be used in limited tangent structure locations where the setting and design criteria determine that the guyed lattice tangent structure is not appropriate. The steel lattice structures are typically 120 to 180 feet in height with span lengths between 900 and 1,500 feet. The ground electrode facilities will have 225 mono-pole structures. These structures will be wood / wood pole equivalent for low voltage electrode line (similar to 34.5 kV line), with a ROW width of 50 feet and a height of 35 to 45 feet. Table 1 presents the Transmission Line structures by county.
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Table 1: Project Components by County Ground Communication Northern Transmission Access Location Electrode Regeneration Terminal Line Roads Facility Sites 0.5 acre permanent disturbance 180 acres 15 miles of Carbon 13 structures 58 miles ground 223 miles 1 site County for 223 structures electrode line interconnection with 225 mono-pole structures Sweetwater 35 miles Not applicable Not applicable 93 miles 1 site County 143 structures
Structure Foundations Foundations for guyed steel lattice structures will typically be small precast or cast-in-place concrete pedestals. The precast pedestals will be hauled to the structure site on a flatbed truck and set in a small excavation dug by a backhoe or similar equipment. The guyed lattice tangent structures and self-supporting steel lattice structures will typically be supported by cast-in-place drilled concrete pier foundations. For these structure types, vertical excavations for foundations will be made with power drilling equipment. Where soils permit, truck- or track-mounted augers of various sizes, depending on the diameter and depth requirements of the hole to be drilled, will be used.
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Figure 1: Representative Picture of Guyed I-String Lattice Tangent Structure
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Figure 2: Representative Picture of Self-Supporting I-String Steel Angle or Dead-end Lattice Structure
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TransWest Express Transmission Project
Conductors The proposed conductor for the TWE Project Transmission Line is an ACSR/TW (Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced/Trapezoidal Wire) conductor approximately 1.5 inches in diameter. Each conductor of the ±500 kV bipole1 line will be composed of three or four sub-conductors in a triple-bundle or quad-bundle configuration. The individual conductors will be bundled in a triangular configuration (triple-bundle) with spacing of approximately 18 inches between sub- conductors. Insulators and Additional Hardware As shown in Figures 1 and 2, insulator assemblies for ±500 kV DC tangent structures will consist of two strings of insulators normally in the form of an “I.” These insulator strings are used to suspend each conductor bundle (pole) from the structure, maintaining the appropriate electrical clearance between the conductors, the ground, and the structure. The I-string configuration of the ±500 kV DC insulators also restrains the conductor so that it will not swing into contact with the structure in high winds. Dead-end insulator assemblies for ±500 kV DC transmission lines will use an I-shaped configuration, which consists of insulators connected horizontally from either a structure dead-end arm or a dead-end pole in the form of an “I.” Individual insulators for both suspension and dead-end applications will be composed of hardened glass bell insulators. Overhead Shield (Ground) Wires To protect the ±500 kV DC Transmission Line from direct lightning strikes, two lightning protection shield wires, also referred to as ground wires, will be installed on the peaks or top arms of each structure. Electrical current from lightning strikes will be transferred through the shield wires and structures into the ground. Ground Rods A grounding system, which is distinct from the ground electrode system, will be installed at the base of each transmission structure and will consist of copper ground rods embedded in the ground in immediate proximity to the structure foundation, and connected to the structure by a buried copper lead. After the ground rods have been installed, the grounding will be tested to determine the resistance to ground. If the resistance to ground for a transmission structure is excessive, then counterpoise will be installed to lower the resistance. Counterpoise consists of a bare copper-clad or galvanized-steel cable buried a minimum of 12 inches deep, extending from one or more legs of a structure for approximately 100 feet within the ROW. Northern Terminal The terminal stations will be designed to include the AC/DC converter station and an adjacent AC substation. The general layout at the terminal area is shown in Figure 3 and a typical AC/DC converter station is shown in Figure 4. The AC/DC converter station will include a ±500 kV DC switchyard, AC/DC conversion equipment, transformers, and multiple equipment, control,
1 The term “bipole” refers to a positive (+) pole and a negative (−) pole, or circuit, of the HVDC system. Each pole is comprised of three sub-conductor cables in bundles and are supported by the steel transmission structures. 11
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TransWest Express Transmission Project maintenance and administrative buildings. There will be two buildings to house the AC/DC conversion equipment, each approximately 200 feet long by 80 feet wide by 60 to 80 feet tall. Additionally, there will be smaller buildings to house the control room, control and protection equipment, auxiliary equipment, and cooling equipment. The AC substations at the Northern Terminal will be a 500/230 kV substation. The AC substations will include a switchyard, transformers, control equipment, and control buildings. The Northern Terminal would temporarily disturb approximately 275 acres during construction and the facilities would be fenced within approximately 180 acres and located on private land. Terminal access will require an estimated 10 acres of permanent disturbance. The Northern Terminal will be developed in two 1,500 MW stages. The initial 1,500 MW construction, referred to as Stage 1 will be completed within three years. An additional 1,500 MW of (terminal) capacity, Stage 2, will be completed three years after Stage 1 is brought on line. Stage 2 construction will only include construction at the terminal and additional interconnection facilities from the adjacent wind farm project known as the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project. The Transmission Line and Ground Electrode Facilities will be designed and constructed for the full 3,000 MW capacity from the outset.
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TransWest Express Transmission Project
Figure 3: Northern Terminal General Layout
Figure 4: Typical AC/DC Converter Station
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TransWest Express Transmission Project
Ground Electrode Facilities Two ground electrode facilities are proposed, one connecting to the Northern Terminal and one connecting to the terminal in Utah. The proposed site for the northern ground electrode facility is located approximately eight miles south of the Northern Terminal site on state lands. The initial footprint of the ground electrode facility would be approximately 290 acres during construction. Approximately 0.5 acre, or less, near the center of the electrode containing the control house will be fenced. A typical layout for a ground electrode facility is shown in Figure 5. There would be 15 miles of ground electrode line with 225 low voltage mono-pole structures, which will be wood / wood pole equivalent. Agricultural land uses outside the fenced area such as grazing and cultivated crops would be an acceptable land use following construction and reclamation.
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EXHIBIT 2
TransWest Express Transmission Project Map, Entire Project
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EXHIBIT 3
TransWest Express Transmission Project Map, Wyoming Segment
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EXHIBIT 4
Preliminary Site Plan, Northern Terminal
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EXHIBIT 5
Summary of Land Ownership in Wyoming Project Area1
Transmission Ground Electrode Terminal3 Total Project Application Area Ownership Line2 Facility4 Acres / % Acres / % Acres / % Acres / % Carbon County Bureau of Land 1,150 / 57 0 64 / 14 1,214 / 46 Management State Land Board 76 / 4 10 / 6 304 / 67 390 / 14 Private 794 / 39 170 / 94 85 / 19 1,049 / 40 Subtotal 2,020 / 100 180 / 100 453 / 100 2,653 / 100 Sweetwater
County Bureau of Land 903 / 74 0 0 903 / 74 Management State Land Board 70 / 6 0 0 70 / 6 Private 251 / 20 0 0 251 / 20 Subtotal 1,224 / 100 0 0 1,224 / 100 Total 3,244 180 453 3,8775
1 Approximate acreage based on current design and project assumptions such as 14-foot-wide roads. 2 Includes access roads, but not temporary areas. 3 Includes 230 kV interconnections. 4 Includes lines, road, and facility. 5 Less than 2 percent of the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project site acres.
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EXHIBIT 6
Anticipated Construction Schedule
Facility 2020 2021 2022 Support Facilities Rawlins, Wamsutter, Staging Areas and Muddy Creek Material Yards Transmission Line (3000 MW) Access Roads Rawlins to State Line Foundations Rawlins to State Line Wyoming mile marker Structures Rawlins to mile marker 5 5 to state line Rawlins to State Line Wiring Completed Terminal (Stage 1, 1500 MW) Yard grading and Structure and equipment Stage 1 equipment AC Substation foundations installation installation/Completed Yard grading and Structure and equipment Stage 1 equipment HVDC Converter foundations installation installation/Completed Interconnections Stage 1 Completed Buildings Foundations Installation/Completed Ground Electrode Facility (3000 MW) Above ground construction and Ground Electrode Facility Ground well installation interconnections Facility 2023 2024 2025 Terminal (Stage 2, 1500 MW upgrade) Structure and equipment AC Substation Equipment installation completed installation Structure and equipment HVDC Converter Foundations Equipment installation completed installation Interconnections Completed Buildings Foundations Installation completed
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EXHIBIT 7
Wyoming Segment Cost Estimate
Total Item Cost Development Project Development $23,500,000 Design Engineering $9,100,000 Procurement and Construction Transmission Line $55,000,000 Terminal $258,000,000 Ground Electrode Facility $4,400,000 Microwave/Communication $2,600,000 Material Cost (without taxes) Transmission Line $46,000,000 Terminal $769,000,000 Ground Electrode Facility $16,600,000 Microwave/Communication $3,800,000 TOTAL $1,188,000,000
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EXHIBIT 8 Wyoming Segment Legal Description
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EXHIBIT 9
Summary of Initial Socio-Economic Assessment and Study Area Recommendation
At the jurisdictional meeting, the Wyoming Industrial Siting Council (“WISC”) must determine the appropriate project study area (“Study Area”) for the required governmental, social and economic studies. The “Study Area” will encompass the “area of site influence” and the areas and local governments that will be “primarily affected” by the project.2 TransWest retained an economist, Ron Dutton of Sammons/Dutton LLC, to provide an initial assessment of the areas likely to be affected by the TWE Project, for consideration by the WISC. As explained below, Mr. Dutton’s assessment concludes that Carbon and Sweetwater Counties will be the area of site influence for social and economic impacts and include the communities that will be primarily affected by the TWE Project. Accordingly, TransWest respectfully recommends that the Administrator define the Study Area as consisting of Carbon and Sweetwater Counties, and specifically, those portions of those counties where the TWE Project facilities are located and where the TWE Project Workforce are likely to obtain housing during the course of the Project.
Factors Determining Area of Site Influence and Primarily Affected Communities
Communities likely to be impacted by the TWE Project include those providing housing for project workers and those in which county services affected by the Transmission Line are based. Governmental entities affected by changes in service demands and fiscal effects of the TWE Project would also be affected. For purposes of the jurisdictional meeting, our analysis has focused on the housing needs of the Project’s work force. Project location, construction schedule, primary highway/road access routes to project work sites, fluctuations in work force size, the communities that are within a reasonable commuting distance from the project work sites, and the availability of temporary housing will determine which communities the Project will primarily affect, socially, economically and fiscally.
Project location
The Wyoming segment of the proposed TWE Project will consist of two major components: 1) the Northern Terminal and its associated ground electrode facility, both of which will be located about three miles southwest of the Town of Sinclair, Wyoming, and 2) a Transmission Line that
2 See Industrial Development Information and Siting Rules and Regulations (“Rules”) at Chapter 1, Sections 2, 5, and 8.
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will extend about 93 miles west and southwest from the Northern Terminal, crossing into Colorado west of Baggs, Wyoming.
The Northern Terminal and approximately 60 miles of the Transmission Line will be located in Carbon County, and approximately 33 miles of the Transmission Line will be in southeastern Sweetwater County.
Construction Schedule
TransWest expects that construction of the Wyoming segment of the Transmission Line will start in 2020 and will take about 18 months during 2020 and 2021, including four months with little or no activity over the winter.
TransWest expects to construct the Northern Terminal and the associated ground electrode facility in two stages. In Stage 1, TransWest will construct the ground electrode and a fully operational terminal with 1500 MW in terminal capacity. In Stage 2, TransWest will upgrade the terminal’s capacity to 3000 MW. Stage 1 construction will start about three to six months after the Transmission Line construction starts and will take about three years, overlapping with construction of the Transmission Line. Stage 2 construction will start up to three years after the completion of Stage 1.
Workforce
TransWest contemplates that the Project will require separate work forces for the Transmission Line and the Northern Terminal. Figure 1. Estimated Construction Workforce for the TWE Project’s Northern Terminal and Transmission Line, by Week The Transmission Line
work force will average 80 250 workers during the 14 months of active 200 construction, with a peak quarterly workforce of 117 workers in the third quarter 150 of 2020. 100 The Northern Terminal work force will average 53 50 workers during the periods
of active construction PeakMonthly Construction Employment 0 across the construction Jan-20 Jul-20 Jan-21 Jul-21 Jan-22 Jul-22 Jan-23 Jul-23 Jan-24 Jul-24 Jan-25 Jul-25 schedule, with a peak quarterly workforce of 97 Transmission Line Terminal workers in the fourth quarter of 2020. ** For the 96 miles of Transmission Line in Carbon and Sweetwater Counties.
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Figure 1 shows the combined construction workforce requirements for the Wyoming segment of the TWE Project as a whole, including both the Transmission Line and the Northern Terminal, over the entire anticipated construction schedule. As Figure 1 shows, TransWest anticipates a short-term peak of 223 workers in the third quarter of 2020. However, for most of the overall schedule, fewer than 60 workers would be employed.
Figure 2 shows the Figure 2. Construction Employment for the Terminal and Transmission Line, independent work force Shown Separately for each Component needs of the Northern Terminal and Transmission Line portions of the Project over the course of the construction schedule.
Communities Within a Reasonable Commuting Distance to Work Sites
Housing needs for the Transmission Line work force and the Northern Terminal work force should be considered separately.
The Transmission Line work force will be divided into multiple crews, each assigned to a different segment of the Transmission Line. Currently, TransWest plans to start Transmission Line construction south of Wamsutter, with one set of crews working generally eastward towards Rawlins, and another set of crews working southward toward Baggs and then southwestward to the Wyoming-Colorado state line. Transmission Line work sites will move as work proceeds along the transmission alignment.
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For the Transmission Line work force, housing demand will likely shift as work sites move. In particular, for those crews moving southward from Wamsutter, TWE Project activity will become increasingly distant from communities in western Sweetwater County and northwestern Carbon County.
By contrast, the Northern Terminal workforce will be based in the Rawlins area over the entire construction period, and many of the workers may continue to work in the same location for several years.
Whether workers are working on the Transmission Line or the Northern Terminal, they will likely seek housing in communities that are within a reasonable commuting distance of their work sites, provided that sufficient housing is available in those communities.
To determine which communities are within a reasonable commuting distance, GIS technology was used to measure the one-way highway distances between various communities and the work sites. To account for shifting Transmission Line work sites, we used multiple work sites for the Transmission Line. Our analysis identified fifteen communities located within a 60-mile distance and/or 1-hour travel time of the Northern Terminal and/or Transmission Line Project components (see supplemental Table 2 in the appendix).3 These fifteen communities are:
Northern Terminal:
• Carbon County: Arlington, Elk Mountain, Encampment, Hanna, Medicine Bow, Rawlins, Riverside, Ryan Park, Saratoga, and Sinclair
• Sweetwater County: Bairoil and Wamsutter Transmission Line:
• Carbon County: Baggs, Dixon, Savery, Rawlins, and Sinclair
• Sweetwater County: Bairoil and Wamsutter Available Housing in the Identified Communities
Having identified communities within a reasonable distance of the work sites, we next evaluated the availability of temporary housing for non-local workers in each of these communities. “Temporary housing” includes hotel and motel rooms, cabins, recreational vehicle (RV) spaces or pads, and camp sites. These accommodations are the most common housing options available for non-local construction workers.
3 Table 2 presents three sets of travel distances and travel times between each community and the Transmission Line, to reflect the progress of construction along the Transmission Line alignment. As the distance to the specific job site changes over time, some workers would likely choose to relocate to another community, for instance finding accommodation in Baggs rather than Rawlins.
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Our preliminary inventory identified more than 2,100 rooms and RV spaces currently located within the communities in the suggested Study Area (see Table 3 in the appendix). The bulk of such accommodations are in Rawlins, with substantial numbers of units in Saratoga, Baggs and Dixon, Medicine Bow, and Encampment and Riverside. Little temporary housing is available in Savery or Bairoil.4
Our analysis determined that a number of other communities would be unlikely to provide feasible housing options for most of the Project work force because of their lengthy one-way commuting time/distances. Communities that we considered not feasible included Casper; Laramie; all towns and communities in Albany and Natrona Counties; all communities in Sweetwater County other than Wamsutter; and the communities of Riverside, Encampment, Arlington and Ryan Park in Carbon County.
Areas of Site Influence and Areas Primarily Affected by the TWE Project
For the reasons explained above, TransWest concludes that Carbon and Sweetwater Counties would be the appropriate Study Area to encompass the area of site influence. More specifically, Carbon and Sweetwater Counties and the following communities will be primarily affected by the TWE Project:
• Carbon County: Baggs, Dixon, Elk Mountain, Hanna, Medicine Bow, Rawlins, Saratoga, and Sinclair;
• Sweetwater County: Wamsutter.
Recommended Study Area
TransWest suggests that the ISD define the Study Area based on the above analysis and as depicted in Figure 3.
4 TransWest will prepare a housing plan that demonstrates housing availability and commitments in the Rawlins/Sinclair area, western Carbon County and eastern Sweetwater County. That plan will consider housing availability in Craig, Colorado, because the crews completing the Transmission Line construction in southern Sweetwater County would continue construction into adjacent areas in Colorado. The housing plan will also consider the possibility of establishing temporary construction worker camps, sometimes referred to as “man-camps,” for the workforce. Man-camps have been used to provide temporary housing for oil and gas workers in western Carbon and eastern Sweetwater counties. No such capacity is included in the preliminary inventory, but could be considered if appropriate.
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Figure 3. Suggested Study Area Based on Reasonable Travel Time to Communities Offering Substantial Temporary Housing
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SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:
Table 1 Community Population in 2016 Community 2016 Population Carbon County 15,618 Arlington NA Baggs 430 Dixon 95 Elk Mountain 196 Encampment 442 Riverside 95 Hanna 812 Medicine Bow 270 Rawlins 9,075 Ryan Park area 38 * Saratoga 1,686 Sinclair 415 Sweetwater County 44,165 Bairoil 104 Wamsutter 484
Rock Springs, Sweetwater 23,755 Casper, Natrona County 59,324 Laramie, Albany County 32,382 Craig, Colorado 8,952 * 2010 count. No 2016 estimate available. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2017.
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Table 2 Highway Distances and One-Way Travel Times 1,2,3 Northern Terminal/Ground Transmission Line Electrode Community Approx. One- One-Way Approx. One- One-Way way Distance Travel Time way Distance Travel Time (Miles) 1 (Minutes) (Miles) 2 (Minutes) Rawlins 3 4 3 / 33 / 57 4 / 28 / 49 Sinclair 5 5 5 / 40 / 64 5 / 34 / 54 Saratoga 40 34 40 / 75 / 99 3 34 / 64 / 91 Hanna 38 33 38 / 73 / 97 33 / 63 / 83 Elk Mountain 44 35 44 / 79 / 102 35 / 63 / 82 Arlington 57 46 57 / 92 / 116 46 / 74 / 93 Ryan Park 62 53 62 / 98 / 121 4 53 / 84 / 104 4 Baggs 82 70 82 / 44 / 20 70 / 37 / 17 Dixon 89 4 76 4 89 4 / 51 / 27 76 4 / 43 / 23 Savery 94 4 80 4 94 4 / 55 / 32 80 4 / 47 / 27 Encampment / 58 53 58 / 93 / 117 4 53 / 86 / 108 4 Medicine Bow 56 48 56 / 91 / 114 48 / 78 / 98 Bairoil 43 36 43 / 74 / 98 36 / 63 / 84 Wamsutter 46 36 46 / 21 / 44 36 / 17 / 48
Rock Springs 113 90 113 / 88 / 112 3 90 / 71 / 91 Casper, Natrona 118 101 118 / 150 / 173 101 / 129 / Laramie, Albany 98 78 98 / 133 / 156 78 / 106 / 126 Craig, Colorado 123 105 123 / 85 / 60 105 / 73 / 52
1 Travel distances to/from the Northern Terminal are from a point on WY-76 midway between Rawlins and Sinclair and are based on the shortest distance on paved highways. 2 Travel distances to/from the Transmission Line are shown for 3 locations: 1) the point used for the Northern Terminal, 2) a point on WY-789 approx. 12 miles south of its intersection with I-80 west of Rawlins, and 3) at the intersection of WY-789 and the Wamsutter-Wild Cow Road, approx. 22 miles north of Baggs. These distances are based on the shortest distance on paved highways that are open year-round. 3 Travel times are based on estimated average travel speeds for the highways that would used. 4 These travel times and distances reflect routes that are longer, but quicker because they involve paved highways that are open year-round whereas shorter routes involve unpaved roads and/or routes subject to winter/spring closure. Source: SWCA 2018 and SDLLC 2018.
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Table 3 Preliminary Inventory of Temporary Housing, By Community Community Rooms RV Spaces Total Carbon County - - - Arlington 0 0 0 Baggs / Dixon 184 14 198 Elk Mountain 17 0 17 Encampment / 78 23 101 Hanna 5 30 35 Medicine Bow 94 30 118 Rawlins 1 1,164 244 1,341 Ryan Park area NA NA NA Saratoga 221 102 266 Sinclair 0 0 0 Sweetwater County - - - Bairoil 0 0 0 Wamsutter 20 20 40
Rock Springs 1,489 1,460 2,949 Casper, Natrona County 2,250 202 2,452 Laramie, Albany County 1,565 126 1,691 Craig, Colorado 513 83 596 1 Does not include capacity of any on-site construction camp and/or RV park that could be available in conjunction with PCW’s CCSM. Sources: SDLLC 2018 (to be updated).
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APPENDIX F-2
Notice of Jurisdiction
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APPENDIX F-3
Fee Statement
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APPENDIX F-4 2019 Application Submittal Supplemental Information
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