Abstract
GIS and Transmission Siting: Easy, Reliable, Defensible and Repeatable Process
Track: Electric Utilities
Author(s): Craig Poorker, Dan Schmidt, Jenn Walter
Great River Energy (GRE) was responsible for routing a 240-mile transmission line in Minnesota. The project area included two states, 13 counties, and over 20,000 landowners. GRE realized that public involvement and transparency would be key in this controversial project. ArcGIS was used to efficiently collect, organize, analyze and present data.
Data collection was streamlined by using ArcGIS in the field to collect over 15,000 points. Segments and routes were developed in a defensible and repeatable manner using the organized GIS data Impacts data on over 1,800 segments were organized in a series of Geodatabases. Modelbuilder was used to develop impacts and export related dbf tables to Access. The public and regulatory agencies were engaged by using GIS maps, visual simulations and interactive GIS workstations.
The result was a GIS-driven efficient route development process that analyzed all available data in a documented defensible process that was transparent and minimized controversy.
Craig Poorker
Great River Energy
12300 Elm Creek Boulevard
Maple Grove , Minnesota 55369-4718
United States
Phone: 763.445.5980
E-mail: jennifer.walter@hdrinc.com
Dan Schmidt
HDR Inc
701 Xenia Ave S.
Suite 600
Minneapolis , Minnesota 55416
United States
Phone: 763 278-5928
E-mail: dan.schmidt@hdrinc.com
Jenn Walter
HDR Engineering, Inc
701 Xenia Avenue South
Minneapolis 55416
United States
Phone: 763-278-5935
E-mail: jwalter@hdrinc.com