During its monthly meeting on Thursday, January 10, Nebraska Public Power District’s (NPPD) Board of Directors voted to award a construction contract to Forbes Brothers Timberline Construction, Inc., of Rapid City, S.D. at a base bid of $264,999,990 for the R-Project transmission line.
While the contract has been awarded, no construction work on the 345-volt transmission line will be conducted until NPPD receives its incidental take permit for the American Burying Beetle from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). “We anticipate that the USFWS will issue that permit sometime in the first quarter of 2019,” said NPPD Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Tom Kent.
The new transmission line is needed to enhance the reliability of Nebraska’s electric transmission system, help relieve congestion of existing lines within the system, and help support renewable energy projects — if approved at the local level. “As we stated during our public process, this new line will provide an additional power path that will enhance the reliability of the transmission system for Nebraskans,” Kent added.
The line route begins at Gerald Gentleman Station near Sutherland and then heads north to Thedford where it will connect at an existing substation. The line then will move east to Holt County, covering approximately 225 miles, where it will connect with a new substation to be constructed.
For more information about the R-Project go to www.rproject.nppd.com
