Highlights
In New Poll, Iowans Strongly Prefer Siting Electric Transmission Lines Along Highway Corridors Versus Private Land
In a poll of Iowa voters commissioned by NextGen Highways, an overwhelming majority (77%) said that if new transmission is needed, they would support it being built along interstate and other highway corridors. Support for the idea was even greater (rising to 82%) when respondents were asked about using these existing rights-of-way as an alternative to the state claiming land by eminent domain.
Reimagining Highway Rights-of-Way as Transmission Corridors: Opportunities and Considerations for State Energy Offices
What do state energy offices need to know about transmission co-location? NextGen Highways collaborated with the National Association of State Energy Officials to answer that question. The resulting policy paper highlights the opportunities and benefits of co-location, outlines considerations for state policymakers, and includes case studies to show how states are already making co-location work.
Next-Gen Grid: Using Co-Location to Expand Transmission
View a recording of a webinar hosted by Americans for a Clean Energy Grid (ACEG) and Nextgen Highways (NGH) exploring the possibility of building new transmission along existing rights-of-way.
Our great panel discusses key considerations for developers, governments, and communities.
Panel:
– Bob Fasick, Wisconsin DOT
– Catherine Reed, NASEO
– David Davis, APEX Clean Energy
– Moderator: Matt Prorok, NextGen Highways & Great Plains Institute
Survey: Minnesota Voters Want Electric Transmission Lines Built Along Highways
Minnesota voters overwhelmingly support the building of electric transmission lines alongside highways and other existing infrastructure corridors, according to a new NextGen Highways initiative survey.
In the statewide survey, 79 percent of respondents prefer building electric transmission lines alongside existing powerlines, highways, rail, and other existing public right of way (ROW) corridors. That compares to just 3 percent who prefer private lands such as farms, forests, or neighborhoods, according to the Public Policy Polling survey of 684 Minnesota registered voters on February 21 and 22, 2023.
Click below to download the summary of the survey findings or download the full survey results.
NextGen Highways Feasibility Study for the Minnesota Department of Transportation
The NextGen Highways Team worked with an internal working group at the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) to investigate the opportunities and barriers associated with locating buried high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission and fiber within the highway right-of-way (ROW).
This Feasibility Study reviewed applicable policy, regulation, and projects; analyzed MnDOT-specific concerns; examined HVDC transmission line requirements; assessed buried HVDC cost and benefits; and broadly evaluated typical highway ROW design for suitability of HVDC transmission line siting. The findings from this study demonstrate that buried HVDC transmission is cost-effective and can be feasibly sited in interstate and highway ROW after making appropriate consideration for existing and future transportation system needs. While the team identified challenges over the course of this study, none of those challenges appear to pose barriers that cannot be overcome.