The public can comment on Tucson Electric Power Co.’s plan to build a new high-voltage transmission line through midtown at a meeting from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 8, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Tucson-Reid Park, 445 S. Alvernon Way, by phone or online via Zoom.
To participate by phone, call: 1-669-444-9171, 1-719-359-4580 or 1-720-707-2699; the meeting ID is: 839 2733 9080.
Ahead of that meeting also on Monday, the state Power Plant and Line Siting Committee will start hearings on TEP’s plan at 1 p.m. at the Doubletree. After a scheduled 10 days of hearings, which after Monday will start at 9 a.m., the siting panel will make a recommendation to the Arizona Corporation Commission for a final decision on the line route.
For more information, a link to the live hearing or to participate on the comment session, go to tucne.ws/tepline.
TEP says the roughly 7-mile, 138-kilovolt transmission line from the south side to a substation near Interstate 10 and West Grant Road is badly needed to meet surging power demand.
But the city says the overhead lines along key corridors would violate city ordinances, while some residents say the lines and towers planned through or near their neighborhoods would create visual blight and depress property values.
They want TEP to install the lines underground, but the utility says it's too costly and in May 2023, city voters rejected a new city franchise agreement with TEP that would have imposed a new fee on residents to pay for underground installation.
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