High-voltage transmission lines often span hundreds of miles across vast landscapes and jurisdictions. During the permitting process, route changes are inevitable—even after routing and siting studies are completed. New information from stakeholders, studies that identify environmentally sensitive features, right-of-way issues and other variables can lead to significant route and site modifications.
For large, complex projects, project teams need to be flexible and agile. Schedules and budgets depend on it. A streamlined process is essential for keeping engineers and designers updated on the multidisciplinary factors—engineering, environmental, lands acquisition, public outreach and more—that could impact transmission line and substation designs.
A clear process enables teams to implement feasible modifications more quickly. What once took weeks of coordination can now be accomplished in mere days through the following systematic and repeatable process.
Change Requests
An effective process begins with a web-based facility change request form initiated by someone on the project team. This person becomes the request “owner,” and is typically a discipline lead that has learned of a project change that may require route or site modifications.
Team Review
The request is then routed to the other team discipline leads for review. This might include GIS, biology, cultural, land use, visual, water, lands acquisition, access roads and geotechnical, as all could be impacted by a change.
The GIS team plays a crucial role in this review process. They conduct the desktop data reviews of the change within the routing or siting study area and provide the necessary data to the team. It’s crucial that the GIS data is current and complete before the other disciplines conduct their reviews.
Owner Review
The request can be either approved or denied by the different disciplines. Often, approvals are conditional, requiring the implementation of mitigation measures such as design changes. For example, special status species habitat crossings often require major structure design changes, which can significantly increase project costs.
To make informed decisions, these changes must be weighed against other options. The results of the discipline team reviews are then sent to the request owner for approval or rejection. Sometimes, further modifications are requested as part of an approval by the owner or other stakeholders (e.g., lead permitting agency).
Approval and Documentation
If approved, the route or site change is documented and mapped in GIS within a web-based management tool used for project planning, permitting and construction.
Initially, process change forms and workflows are dynamic, revealing gaps that need to be filled by adding disciplines or steps. Process standards and efficiencies simplify change, ensuring replicable outcomes. It tracks and documents change decisions, which can be referenced days, months or years later.
A Successful Process
The dynamic nature of large transmission line projects necessitates a robust and adaptable process for managing route and site changes. By implementing a streamlined, multidisciplinary approach, project teams can effectively respond to new information and evolving conditions.
An established process ensures all stakeholders are informed and that design modifications are made efficiently. This minimizes disruptions to schedules and budgets. It also provides defensible documentation that can withstand possible litigation.
A standardized process not only enhances decision-making, but also provides a comprehensive record of changes—fostering transparency and accountability.
Ultimately, this approach supports the successful completion of complex transmission line projects, balancing technical, environmental and stakeholder considerations.
Article originally published in the Fall 2024 issue of Currents. Subscribe today to stay current on environmental insights and regulatory updates that impact your projects