Oncor - Tonkawa — Sweetwater East — Central Bluff 345 kV Transmission Line Project

Tonkawa — Sweetwater East — Central Bluff 345 kV Transmission Line Project

Texas is continuing to increase the integration of renewable energy into the Texas electric market. Reliable electric facilities must be in place to support the increased levels of renewable energy and to provide efficient means for this power to reach electric consumers. As part of this on-going process, Oncor is proposing four connected projects that consist of building approximately 90 miles of double circuit electric transmission line.

The first project will connect Central B, a future wind collection station northwest of Snyder to Central A, a future wind collection station southeast of Snyder. The second project will connect the future wind collection station Central A, southeast of Snyder to the existing Tonkawa Switching Station, located in the southwest corner of Scurry County. The third project will connect the Tonkawa Switching Station to the future Sweetwater East Switching Station east of Sweetwater. The fourth project will connect the future Sweetwater East Switching Station to the future Central Bluff Switching Station southeast corner of Nolan County. The Central B – Central A and Central A – Tonkawa Switching Station projects will be filed under one CCN and the Tonkawa Switching Station - Sweetwater East Switching Station and Sweetwater East Switching Station to Central Bluff Switching Station projects will be filed under another CCN.

These four projects have been recommended by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to ensure continued safe and reliable electric service to the State due to the increased integration of electric energy generated by wind production facilities. Completion of the projects will enable the new transmission system to efficiently move wind-generated electric power to market and will add valuable capacity to the entire transmission system.

Voltage and Structure Type - The project is proposed to be a 345 kV transmission line constructed on Lattice Steel V Towers.

Project Details

Project One Pager - The One Pager includes a short description of the project, approval process and contact information.
Public Meeting - The Tonkawa — Sweetwater East Public Meeting Notice and the Sweetwater East — Central Bluff Public Meeting Notice were mailed to public officials and potentially affected landowners April 17, 2009 and published in the local newspapers beginning April 20, 2009. The Tonkawa — Sweetwater East Public Meeting was held April 29, 2009 in Sweetwater and the Sweetwater East — Central Bluff Public Meeting was held April 30, 2009 in Sweetwater. The Tonkawa — Sweetwater East Informational handouts and the Sweetwater East — Central Bluff Informational handouts available at the meeting included an explanation of the project, map showing preliminary routes, proposed structures and the licensing process.
Application - On September 16, 2009, Oncor filed an Application at the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) under Docket No. 37407 to construct and operate the proposed project. The Application includes route maps that show the preferred and alternate routes. Oncor's Application and other documents filed at the PUCT in Docket No. 37407 can be viewed on the PUCT Website.
Public Notice - A Public Notice announcing the filing of Oncor's application in Docket No. 37407 was published in the local newspapers on September 24th, 2009. Cities, counties, and landowners potentially affected by the Application were mailed or hand delivered a notice of the filing of the application.
Procedural Schedule - A Procedural Schedule - Order No. 4 in Docket No. 37407 adopted a Procedural Schedule that sets out the dates for the administration of Oncor's application. Interested parties should be advised that the Procedural Schedule is potentially subject to change and should regularly consult the PUCT Website regarding any subsequent scheduling modifications.
Hearing on the Merits - A Hearing regarding Oncor’s Application will be held December 14-16, 2009 at the State Office of Administrative Hearings in Austin.

Oncor representatives can be contacted regarding the Tonkawa — Sweetwater East — Central Bluff Transmission Project at 214-486-7334.