Transmission Line Utility Easements
What are Transmission Lines?
When the utility company shows an interest in your property, they usually need the land for power lines. There are two main types of lines – Transmission Lines and Distribution Lines. The electric transmission lines carry power from a main source to substations, and electric distribution lines carry power from those substations to individuals and businesses. These lines require varying amounts of land, but obviously the route needs to be continuous. Long, relatively thin strips of land are needed to get power from a central source to many users.
Electric transmission lines form a network of cables that carry large electrical voltages. These lines are usually overhead and are supported by tall, often lattice-type structures or towers. The power is generated by different sources: hydroelectric, nuclear, coal, wind, solar, geothermal and other forms of renewable energy. The transmission lines carry these large amounts of power to substations. Next, smaller distribution lines carry energy to homes and businesses. Distribution lines can be either overhead or underground lines. This system as a whole is sometimes referred to as the national power grid system, or just “the grid”. It works like an interstate highway, transmitting and distributing power across the US.
A typical transmission line is made up of smaller separate cables or lines - some to carry the electricity and some to protect from lightning. In wooded areas, trees are cut down in large strips to accommodate transmission lines. A normal distance between the towers supporting the lines is a few hundred feet. Accordingly, these lines need large amounts of property for safe operation.
But I don't want a transmission line utility easement on my property. Can the route be changed to go over my neighbor's property instead?
Once a route is selected from power source to consumer, it is not likely that the company will change that established route of the utility easement. The power company will have done their legal and environmental research for a better part of a year or more. In general, the route can be modified slightly but not changed significantly. The power companies have gone through this utility easement process hundreds of times against landowners who have little or no experience with the procedure.
So they can force me to grant them a transmission line easement?
Your options are to either negotiate a suitable compensation agreement with the utility company and avoid having to go to court or retaining an attorney to represent you in proceedings. As a landowner, the odds are stacked against you when trying to navigate these negotiations alone. Let us help. The power companies are experienced and know what to expect. So should you. We are happy to have a no-commitment call with you in advance to discuss with you whether we believe retaining our services will be beneficial to you. If you do end up retaining our services, it typically runs between $500 and $1000 for us to complete our analysis. We won’t suggest that you retain us unless we truly believe that you will receive a good deal more than $1000 as a result of our assistance.
While you will likely only deal with a transmission line easement once in your lifetime, we deal with it daily. Please contact us to inquire about our services and discuss your situation.
Sources:
Karady, George G. "Electric Power Transmission". McGraw-Hill Concise Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. 5th ed. 2005.
Phadke, Arun G. "Transmission Lines". McGraw-Hill Concise Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. 5th ed. 2005.