Public input needed on the Granby Pumping Plant to Windy Gap Transmission Line Rebuild Project

On September 11th a public meeting was held at the Granby Library,  It was meant as an update for the public to the Western Area Power Administration (Western), Granby Pumping Plant to Windy Gap Transmission Line Rebuild Project .

It was asked that I put together a site that would make available the information presented and discussed that night. Sorry this is not beautiful, but we needed to get the information out.

A letter to the public, as well as questions and contacts were handed out and presented at the beginning of the meeting. Also posted on the walls and shown in slides some of the information presented at the August 30th meeting. These are in links below.

The proposed main alternatives A,B. and C were discussed as well as the 7 other alternates that may have been considered but not chosen.

The discussion led to a couple other alternates that were not presented. These were:

1. Replace the 69KV cables in Adams Tunnel which is the main reason for this project. And do nothing to the rest of the system

2. Put all segments of the power subsystem underground or underwater end to end. This would include putting the power circuits in a possible pipeline being discussed to take water directly from the Granby Pumping plant to the entrance of Adams Tunnel.

3. Go back to the drawing board and do an idealized design that takes into account both the needs of Grand county power and water, and the Big Thompson project needs to transport water to the eastern slope. It was felt that this was being done piecemeal without input of all entities including the county and it's people.

Several other items of interest were brought up:

• One attendee had been to the power plant at the other end of Adams tunnel and was told that there has been no power transmitted up the Adams Tunnel for the 2 years he has been there.
  
• Of the power generated by the water project, how much of that is provided back to the people of Grand County. How much Green credit is given to Mountain Parks Electric and Tri- state Power?
  
• What are the actual benefits to Grand County of this project?
  
• Many view this project as further robbing Grand County of badly needed water to keep the Fraser and Colorado river healthy while at the same time returning nothing to Grand County.
  
• If, in fact, the power rates which have increased dramatically the last few years could be lowered by the use of this "GREEN" power source. That would be a benefit to the citizens of Grand County.
  
• What are both the environmental and tourism impacts of this project, and can they be improved by better planning and use of alternatives?
  
• Finally what are the estimated costs of various alternatives and how does this actually work out over the next 40 to 50 years?
  
• One final point was brought up, is 17 days enough time for public response or should this project been presented thru community forums and meetings instead of just one night?

These are the materials presented.

public letter 9-11-2007.html

Questions.htm

Contacts.htm

As a result of the meeting, the county has written a good letter responding to the scoping of the project.

county letter.htm

Background materials

Colorado -Big Thompson Project

WAPA web site for this project

Federal Register for this project

Newspaper Article Grand county news real Estate Weekly September 11-17, 2007