A recent survey of Blaine County residents found that a majority of respondents were in favor of either fully or partially burying an Idaho Power redundant transmission line along state Highway 75, according to results shared at a county commissioners meeting Tuesday.
With those results in mind, the commissioners agreed to tentatively pursue a partial undergrounding of the line going forward.
The survey, conducted by Barry Zeplowitz & Associates on behalf of the county, was done by phone. The 300 randomized Blaine County residents surveyed were presented with three options for the power line: burying it entirely, burying only the distribution lines or allowing Idaho Power to build the line aboveground.
The survey is the latest development in a years-long debate over the power line and its potential impact on the views along state Highway 75. After initially denying Idaho Power’s request to install an overhead line, the county agreed to allow a redundant line on one condition: It would have to be underground. Idaho Power is only willing to cover the cost of an overhead line, however, meaning the county is responsible for the cost of putting it underground from the Hailey substation to where it was already scheduled to dive underground west of Elkhorn Road— a project expected to cost in the neighborhood of $38 million.
Other options include undergrounding certain segments of the line—which costs roughly $3 million per mile to bury—or only undergrounding the distribution lines, which would also populate the taller poles. Undergrounding the distribution lines would cost about $5.7 million, according to county estimates.
When asked which option they would prefer, 34 percent said they would most like to see the county bury the line completely, with the cost covered by the public through additional fees or a levy. A levy would require the support of two-thirds of voters to be implemented, as Commissioner Dick Fosbury noted in the meeting. An additional 18 percent of respondents said they would support the complete undergrounding, but it wasn’t their first preference.
Thirty-one percent of respondents said they would most like to see the county pursue the second option: burying only the distribution lines, a move that would lessen the line’s impact on scenic views along the highway. Overall, 57 percent of people surveyed said they would support partially burying the line, though for 26 percent it wasn’t their first choice.
Twenty-seven percent said they would most like to see the county do nothing—allowing the line to be built aboveground—but that option had significantly less support overall, with 36 percent of respondents saying they would support the county in pursuing that path.
Going forward, the commissioners tentatively agreed that the second option—burying only the distribution lines—was likely the best and most achievable way forward.
“I think that is a reasonable option and one that I hope Idaho Power would bring forward to the [Idaho Public Utilities Commission],” Commissioner Angenie McCleary said.
One potential funding source that the commissioners have discussed previously is a 3 percent surcharge on all Idaho Power electric bills in the county—$3.57 onto each monthly residential bill and $8.43 onto each commercial bill—over the next 20 years to partly cover the cost of the undergrounding. That would amount to a total of about $9 million: enough to partly bury the transmission line or to only bury the distribution lines, but not enough to underground the entire thing.
The commissioners did not make any final decisions Tuesday, but agreed to develop a path forward while continuing to work with Idaho Power.
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(12) comments
WEALTHY $ ELITISTS control Idaho Power. They both control your County $ Commissioners. When is the last time they gave you the time of day? Politicians partner with Elitists and Corporate to provide coordinated lip service to the Minions... as if any of them care about us. They lie and create division. After the Minions have been significantly exhausted and divided, at the will of their Masters, Politicians drop the hammer by simply adding the cost the project to your power bill or having a fraudulent special election. In other words... THE FIX is already IN! You will be paying for the the view you cannot enjoy by next summer!
300 people is a paltry sampling to draw conclusions as to what should be done. I personally think the power line is fine as it is. Let those who wish to have it buried, pay for it.
Residents north of east fork don't want to see power lines? Let residents north of east fork pay for it. I don't care if I have to see them.
They have ignored public opinion at every turn. Now they justify their half measure with their own "survey.:" Self-dealing. This is a form of corruption. Take it to the polls!
Curious to know what the demographic is of who actually answers an unsolicited, unknown phone number, and if these calls were to landline and/or cell numbers. This decision MUST go before the voters, since everyone will be paying for the benefits of a few. These lines have been here so long that Bud used to joke with Jans back in the 60's about decorating them with faux lift-chairs for marketing SV. Over all these years, the common refrain from new residents trends as "this place is wonderful, but it would be much better if..."
The "benefits" are not just for a few people as svnative asserts. The facts are that the WRV is an economy based upon the mountain, second home owners and tourists. Folks come here to ski, or to otherwise enjoy what the area offers. Without the mountain and the ski related operations, we would have a decaying mining town.
A key reason folks enjoy coming here is the beauty of the area. The current state of electric poles seemingly everywhere greatly distracts form the natural beauty of the area.
Improving the attractiveness of the area benefits everyone. Put the lines undergraound!
My 'economy' - as well as that of many others - has absolutely no reliance on the mountain, second home owners, or tourists. The school district is already fleecing taxpayers, and we don't need yet another drain on our incomes. Put it overhead! I think our commissioners are a bit too comfortable in their paychecks.
Insertfoot: You assert that your job is not related to the mountain, second home owners or tourists. I would suggest that most every job in the WRV is either directly or indirectly associated the mountain. Period.
And problems from low wages and the flood of guest workers, the lack of affordable housing, the Covid pandemic, airport expansion, urban and rural over development and the valley`s population explosion can be "directly or indirectly associated with the mountain".
No Downhiller, not even indirectly.
The final manipulation of the process will be denying a public vote and accepting blanket utility fee increases.
The failure of the process now becomes a narrow, pointed, leading survey. This valley has witnessed the failures, inadequacies and biases of limited, directed and funded polls and surveys in the past. The slant was quite different on Friedman; " Would you pay $10,000 for airport relocation?"
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