Power utility, B.E. officials talking
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No Comments [ Add Comment ]By NANCY B. FULLER
Standard-Examiner correspondent
BRIGHAM CITY -- Box Elder County Commissioners are cautiously optimistic that the county will be able to work with Rocky Mountain Power to find an acceptable compromise to the proposed 345 KV transmission lines scheduled to be built through the county this year.
The commission and members of the Box Elder Council of Governments began the dialogue process Tuesdayevening. Commissioners and representatives from the COG met June 18 with five state senators and 10 state representatives requesting that Rocky Mountain Power work with the COG.
Commissioner Clark Davis said members turned what was to be a three-minute presentation into a three-hour presentation, requesting input on where Rocky Mountain Power will build transmission lines.
"We felt we had been excluded from the process, and the lines were going in with no local input," Davis said.
Davis said Rich Walje, president of Rocky Mountain Power, also spoke at the meeting.
"By his own admission, Walje said Rocky Mountain Power had failed in the process and admitted the process was flawed," Davis said, adding he promised to meet with the COG and review the routing lines and report back to the Legislature in August.
"(Tuesday) night will begin that process, and we're very optimistic," Davis said.
Another outcome from last Wednesday's meeting was the possibility of future legislative oversite of utility corridors. Commissioner Jay Hardy said many people have said the county commissioners were not doing anything to help.
"We were neutral until the first punch. Then we have been working with the mayors and the COG behind the scenes," he said. "We have put in a tremendous amount of work to make sure we haven't put this in someone else's backyard. I think we're finally going to see some fruits of our labors."
Commissioner Rich VanDyke remained cautious.
"But we are very optimistic. We still have a couple of months more to work on this, but stay tuned."
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