Abstract
 The Application of Spatial Analysis in Selecting Energy Transmission Corridors Track: Electric and Gas Author(s): Brian Cantwell, James Kuiper, Matthew Nesta Energy development and transport in the western United States is a complex and contentious public issue with significant environmental, economic, and engineering challenges. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 requires the Departments of Energy, Interior, Defense, and Agriculture to develop energy "corridors" that maximize the efficiency of delivery systems, streamline the approval process required to develop energy transmission projects on federal lands, and minimize the impact on the environment. The geographic extent is large, covering 11 western states. Constraints involve spatial data such as topography, biological resources, land ownership, geology, and existing infrastructure. Because of these factors, the feasibility of the project depends on GIS technology to bring together the complex database development, analysis, modeling, visualization, and cartography required. This paper describes the unique challenges and approaches to this project from the perspective of GIS professionals. Brian Cantwell Argonne National Laboratory Environmental Science Division 9700 South Cass Avenue, Bldg 900 Argonne , IL 60439 US Phone: 630-252-6802 E-mail: bcantwell@anl.gov James Kuiper Argonne National Laboratory 9700 S. Cass Ave. Bldg. 900 Argonne , IL 60439 US Phone: 630-252-6206 E-mail: jkuiper@anl.gov Matthew Nesta Argonne National Laboratory 9700 S. Cass Ave. Bldg. 900 Argonne , IL 60439 US Phone: 630-252-7246 E-mail: Nesta@anl.gov |
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