The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) Sept. 5 voted unanimously to authorize a transmission line project that will allow Tucson Electric Power (TEP) to serve increasing energy needs in central Tucson.
“A big kudo to the parties for finding a solution that will enable this project to move forward,” said ACC Chairman Jim O’Connor. “This transmission project will further enhance reliability and modernize a critical portion of our electric grid in Tucson.”
The commission considered several factors in balancing whether the TEP’s Midtown Reliability Project is in the public interest, concluding that it meets the need for an adequate, economical, and reliable supply of electric power and minimizes the impact on the environment and ecology of the state.
During the hearing on Thursday, some Tucson residents said they wanted to have the new electric lines buried underground instead of above ground on poles measuring 75 feet to 85 feet.
However, doing so would have increased the cost of the entire project by $67 million, an amount that ultimately would be passed on to ratepayers, according to TEP, which provides electric service to about 450,000 customers in southern Arizona.