Right Of Way Needs For Power Lines 'Limited,' Progress Says

Progress Energy may need more right of way for transmission lines through Hernando County, but that need will be "limited," the company said Friday.

Progress has set an informational open house for Wednesday, Jan. 14, in Brooksville to give the public a look at preferred corridors for the lines that would run some 40 miles south from its proposed nuclear plant in Levy County, through Citrus County and into Hernando to move power to this region of the state.

Property owners north and west of the company's Brookridge substation will want to pay close attention to the process, Progress Energy spokeswoman Wendy Horne said.

It is that portion of the county where Progress Energy already has an existing power corridor but "may" need more right of way for the new power lines, according to Horne and a press release the company issued Friday announcing the public meeting.

The substation is located just east of Sunshine Grove Road, about three miles north of State Road 50 and a mile north of Brookridge. The station is on one of two of the company's existing corridors that run through Hernando.

A second substation, dubbed the "Brooksville West" facility, is located just south of S.R. 50 and is the terminus for the new lines.

Residents and the county commission have urged Progress to stick to the company's existing right-of-way when running new transmission lines. Progress officials have promised to do so whenever possible.

For the most part, it will be possible, the company says.

The new 230- and 500-kilovolt transmission lines - perched atop either single or double poles as tall as 175 feet - would largely follow the path of an existing 115-kilovolt line in Citrus and Hernando counties.

However, "In some limited areas of Hernando County, northwest of the Brookridge substation, the company may need to widen its existing right of way or purchase new rights of way," Friday's release states.

The impact on property owners will be minimal, Progress's chief executive maintains.

"Because we're largely following the path of an existing transmission line, we will be able to minimize the impacts on the community and environment from the line than runs from the proposed Levy plant to the Brooksville West substation in Hernando County," Jeff Lyash, president and CEO of Progress Energy Florida, said in the release.

The company solicited input from the community in a first round of public meetings earlier this year.

"We listened to that feedback," Lyash said.

The company began mailing letters Friday to 6,000 residents within the preferred corridors in Levy, Citrus and Hernando counties to notify them of the meeting, Horne said.

The meeting will run from 4 to 7:30 p.m. at the Brooksville Elks Lodge, 14494 Cortez Blvd.

The informal open house format allows the public to come and go at any time. Progress staffers manning computers with satellite mapping technology will be on hand to answer questions.

"This is the chance for the public to let us know what they're thinking and find out what this area looks like," Horne said.

Progress wants to run some 200 miles of additional lines from the Levy plant to meet a burgeoning demand for electricity in the region.

Construction of the lines is planned to begin in 2012, with the plant expected to be in service in 2016. The project will require approval by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and other agencies.

Information is available at www.progress-energy.com/energyplanning, by e-mail to energyplanning @pgnmail.com, or by phone at 888-238-0373.