ALAMOSA- Tri-State Generation and Transmission announced they will abandon their four-year effort to bring their proposed San Luis Valley power line up and over La Veta Pass to Pueblo.
Instead, Tri-State will look to bring the 230-kilovolt transmission line up through New Mexico. The specific route has not been determined, but Tri-State hopes to hook up into a 345-kilovolt line that runs east and west through northen New Mexico. This line would likely come up through Taos County.
Four years ago, the La Veta Pass proposal sparked a lawsuit from Trinchera and Blanca ranch owner Louis Bacon, and lenghty proceedings by the Public Utilities Commission.
Tri State still stands by its statement that the La Veta Pass route would be the best option, but they recognize it would be a challenge.
Tri State reasoning for the transmission line was to bring reliability to the San Luis Valley electric grid. The second benefit would be to have added transmission capacity for other projects.
Tri-State does not have a cost estimate to route the line through northern New Mexico. Meetings with New Mexican towns and landowners will be held, but no dates have been announced yet.
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