Antares to Meadview 69 Kilovolt Transmission Line Project

• Virtual Public Open House Presentation

Public input is an important part of the planning process and UniSource encourages area residents and other stakeholders to submit comments. Your comments – as well as any personal identifying information like address, phone number and e‐mail address – will be included in public documents submitted by UniSource during the NEPA process.

Please submit comments by:

• Mailing written comments to: UniSource Antares‐Meadview
  C/O CeCe Aguda, DockIt Consulting, LLC
  PO Box 2706
  Oak Harbor, WA 98277

• Attending the virtual public open house meeting (see below for details)
• E‐mailing comments to AntaresMeadview69kV@uesaz.com

Recent growth in Meadview has created challenges in maintaining adequate voltage levels for area customers.

To address concerns from local water companies, UniSource deployed generators this summer and last summer to support voltage for residential water well pumps in the area. UniSource installed line conditioning equipment including capacitors and voltage regulators to improve voltage. The company also is building a line to interconnect its Dolan Springs Substation with a temporary substation located on Pierce Ferry Road near Antares Road.

Although these temporary system configurations will alleviate voltage concerns and help serve customers’ higher summertime energy needs, UniSource must complete permanent system upgrades to ensure reliable service for customers. UniSource has identified a need to build the new Meadview Substation in the Meadview area to interconnect with its 69 kV transmission system. UniSource plans to build the new substation near Pierce Ferry Road and Smoketree Avenue.

UniSource proposes building a new 69kV power line partially along the same route currently occupied by an existing lower‐voltage distribution line. The proposed alignment for the new 69 kV line is within the existing transportation corridor on Pierce Ferry Road that will cross private land and federal public land managed by the BLM. UniSource is proposing to stay within county road ROW for most of the route.

Near Pierce Ferry and Diamond Bar Roads, the route will veer west to minimize visual impact near the entrance to Arizona’s Joshua Tree National Natural Landmark (NNL). The proposed alignment would continue along Pierce Ferry Road to the planned Meadview Substation, located about a half‐mile south of Greentree Road. UniSource also plans to decommission and co‐locate portions of an existing distribution line that crosses about three miles of Arizona’s Joshua Tree NNL.

UniSource continues to collaborate with the BLM Kingman Field Office in the development of alternative route alignments. The BLM is currently considering the proposed alignment as described above. Following completion of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process, BLM will issue an amendment to the existing grant of ROW AZA‐018556.

UniSource must conduct environmental studies and comply with NEPA requirements before beginning construction of the line. An environmental assessment is being prepared under the direction of the BLM to analyze potential impacts on biological/natural, cultural, and visual resources, socioeconomic conditions and other factors.

UniSource completed the draft environmental assessment in early 2022 and sent notices to area residents and other stakeholders when the draft environmental assessment is available for public review.

UniSource anticipates the line will be in service in 2022.