Powering up in West Jordan

 (West Jordan Journal) Rocky Mountain Power is working on three high voltage projects affecting West Jordan and the future growth of the area.

"From an economic development standpoint, the capital investment and future long-range planning is very beneficial to the future growth of our community," said Tom Burdett, city community development director.

The previous lines were constructed in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with different safety clearances, codes and communications technologies.

"We've tried to design the new structures to look as close to the existing structures as possible," said Rod Fisher, Rocky Mountain Power community relations director. "So you'll find that with these new lines, the structures are probably 10 to 15 feet taller than the existing ones that they're adjacent to, but that's to meet current code and safety regulations and allow our people to operate on those lines."

The Camp Williams project is currently under construction and will be finished by December. A double-circuit 345,000-volt transmission line will run 11 miles from Camp Williams to 9000 South in West Jordan, parallel to an existing 345,000-volt line.

The Mona-Oquirrh project was kicked off in 2007. It begins down in Mona and will come north to a new substation where it will split and connect the Oquirrh substation in West Jordan and the Terminal Substation in Salt Lake City.

Rocky Mountain created a community-working group to help it narrow down alternative routes to find the best route with the least environmental impact.

Original Article