PRPA puts transmission line project in Fort Collins’ court

FORT COLLINS – A planned upgrade to a power transmission
line through the Pineridge Natural Area could be put on hold to give the city
of Fort Collins time to recommend a different route and design for the project,
according to a letter sent to the city Aug. 23 by Platte River Power Authority.

The city had objected to the upgrade – aimed at
increasing the reliability of electric power to Loveland and south Fort Collins
customers – based partly on aesthetic concerns over views of power lines
running through the natural area.

City officials suggested the possibility of burying the
new lines, a move that would add about $13 million to the cost of the project,
according to PRPA.

The current proposal calls for 90- to 100-foot poles to
carry overhead lines across 1.6 miles of open space. Construction of the
transmission upgrade was slated to begin this fall.

In a letter sent to Fort Collins City Manager Darin
Atteberry, PRPA General Manager Brian Moeck said PRPA would be willing to
construct “temporary transmission configurations” that “could be
constructed in a manner that would both meet the needs of Loveland but could
also be removed once a permanent solution is reached.”

Moeck said the cost of the temporary facilities would be
about $800,000, which would have to be borne by the city of Fort Collins.

“Platte River is willing to leave these temporary
facilities in place for some agreed-upon period of time to allow Fort Collins
to explore other routing and design options,” the letter said. “If
Fort Collins decides on an alternative that provides reliability equal to the
present Platte River project, Platte River will remove the temporary structures
and construct the preferred Fort Collins alternative.”

Platte River is jointly owned by the cities of Loveland,
Fort Collins, Longmont and Estes Park.

Fort Collins City Manager Atteberry did not respond to an
email request for comment in time for publication of this story.