After months of construction, work on a new power transmission line connecting Gwinnett and Barrow counties will soon be finished.
Georgia Transmission Corporation (GTC) is building the 230 kilovolt line to connect the Jim Moore Road substation in Dacula to the Sharon Church substation located near Highway 211 and Highway 124 in Barrow County. The project is expected to be completed by late spring.
According to Craig Heighton, senior public relations representative for GTC, the new transmission line will service the Auburn, Braselton, Chateau Elan and Hamilton Mill areas.
“This project will help provide reliable electricity to customers being served in that community,” he said.
Between now and 2030, Georgia’s population is expected to grow by more than three million people. With a finite capacity for electricity delivery, the power grid must be expanded to prevent future brownouts and blackouts.
Though growth in Barrow County has slowed, Heighton said GTC is preparing for increased demand in the area.
The new transmission line will eventually be connected to another substation in Barrow County. The future substation will be constructed on a 20-acre site near Dee Kennedy and Union Grove Church Road.
Heighton said it will likely be several years before the substation is built.
“With the slowdown in construction, we’re probably looking at four to five years from now,” he said. “That can change if need is accelerated.”
Though the new transmission line is necessary, Heighton acknowledges that nearby residents are affected by the construction.
“We understand that no matter where we put the transmission line, it will impact the public,” he said.
To address resident concerns, GTC held several meetings in 2008 seeking input from the public. Heighton said the two meetings in Barrow County and two in Gwinnett County were well attended.
“After extensive studying and multiple public meetings, the route, we feel, is the least impactful overall to the county,” he said.
When possible, GTC attempts to follow existing distribution lines and place new poles as close as possible to existing poles. When the new transmission line is energized, some of the existing poles will be removed as utilities connect to the larger poles.
“Where possible, they will transfer but it will take a little bit of time,” Heighton said.
In some cases, some of the older poles will remain in place since the distance between the larger poles may be too great a span for a utility’s distribution needs, he said.
The new transmission line is part of almost 18,000 miles of Georgia transmission lines operated by GTC. The company invests approximately $100 million each year to build and maintain a transmission system which provides bulk power to 39 electric membership cooperatives (EMCs).
“We are planning for the future,” Heighton said. “Our planners work with EMC planners to make sure we have the right infrastructure to meet demand.”
For more information about the Georgia Transmission Company, visit www.gatrans.com.
