VANDER TO CAPE FEAR TIE LINE
The Cape Fear to Vander transmission line project was modified after construction costs exceeded expectations. An alternative to the project was developed that will result in a savings of more than $4 million. It is being referred to as the Rebekah Evans transmission point of delivery (POD) station and transmission line. Rebekah Evans was a charter director and served on the South River EMC Board as the first female director, from 1940 -1965. We are in the process of acquiring easements for this new transmission line.
Notes below are from work previously done on the project:
Since the workshop, information received from landowners in the siting study area has been compiled, analyzed, and combined with an array of environmental, cultural resources, scenic resources, and land use data gained from various sources, including extensive field studies in the project vicinity. The combined data has allowed the development of a network of route segments that can be connected in various ways to form several alternate route corridors between the existing Cape Fear Substation on Butler Nursery Road and the Vander Substation on John B. Carter Road. A map showing the siting study area and the locations of the alternate route corridors within it is below. (Click image to enlarge)
South River EMC has begun executing its comprehensive transmission line siting process to determine the route for the future Vander – Cape Fear 115 kV Tie Line. A siting study area has been delineated to include the entire area through which it will be practical to locate the new line, and an array of environmental, land use, aesthetic, and cultural resource data that will influence its final location is being collected and mapped. Our goal is to identify and apply all factors that should influence the final route selection decision, and we have found that landowners in the siting study area often have important information that should be considered.
The communities served by the Cape Fear and Vander substations are particularly vulnerable to power outages because they are served from only a single 115,000-volt (115 kV) transmission line. The loss of this line could put these communities out of power for an extended period of time. Therefore, South River EMC has determined it to be necessary to provide a secondary source of 115 kV power to its existing Cape Fear Substation to ensure that local area homes and businesses are served by a more reliable and resilient source of electrical energy. This new line will connect the Cape Fear Substation, located on Butler Nursery Road, to the Vander Substation, located on John B. Carter Road, and will allow for electrical redundancy by providing backfeed capabilities through this part of South River EMC’s system. The new line, which will be referred to as the Vander – Cape Fear 115 kV Tie Line, will also provide additional electrical capacity to support the growth of the community into the future.
Project Need includes why the project is needed, the benefits and the consequence of not adding the line, as well as a timeline for the project.
| Needs | Facilities | Potential Outages | Schedule |
Siting demonstrates how South River EMC’s transmission line siting process is executed including all factors that should influence the development of alternate routes and the selection of a final route to be considered appropriate.
| Siting Process | Factors | Aerial Quadrangle Zoning | Land | Occupation | Visibility | Topographic Information |
Aesthetic and Environmental contains illustration of existing transmission lines similar to the one proposed.
| Structures |
Health and Safety illustrates and addresses concerns associated with electric and magnetic fields, compared to normal everyday appliances.
| Electric & Magnetic Fields |
Route Surveying and Right-of-Way Acquisition illustrates the conditions for this type of project.
| Right-Of-Way |