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West Valley-North Power Line and Substation Project Questions? Please call 602-648-2307
West Valley-North
Siting Project Begins
APS Responds to Growing
Local Electrical Demand
The West Valley continues
to grow at a faster pace than
the rest of Maricopa County.
Residential growth is booming
in Surprise and Buckeye, with
an annual average of 4,000-plus
new housing starts over the past
several years. Unincorporated
portions of Maricopa County
in the area also are growing
at a phenomenal rate. Master
planned communities (such as
Festival Ranch, Douglas Ranch,
Sun City Grand and Surprise
Farms, along with large mixed-
use projects such as Arizona
Traditions, Villages at Surprise,
Sierra Montana and the new, City
of Surprise Recreation Campus)
are creating tremendous
demand for electric service.
APS is responding to this
unprecedented growth and
the demand for electricity
with plans to expand its
electrical system. To this end,
APS has launched the West
Valley-North Power Line and
Substation Project, which
includes a new 230-kV power
line and two new substations.
How APS Plans a
Transmission Line and
Substation System
APS strives to stay ahead of area
growth, allowing communities
to develop plans that take
into account major electrical
infrastructure.
Each year, APS files a
10-year plan with the Arizona
Corporation Commission
(ACC) that identifies major
transmission lines and
substations that are expected to
be needed during the next 10
years to help ensure customers
continue to receive reliable
electricity in a timely manner.
The process of conducting
a siting study, getting ACC
approval, obtaining the
necessary land rights and the
actual construction of the
facilities can take more than five
years. Facilities identified in the
current 10-year plan that are
part of the West Valley-North
study are anticipated to be
needed and in service between
2008 and 2012. Therefore, APS
must begin the siting of those
facilities now.
During the siting process, APS
will collect input from affected
jurisdictions, agencies and the
In This Issue:
The Project Begins
APS Plans a System
Environmental Factors
Public Open House
Decision Process
For More Information
visit the Project Web site
at http://siting.apsc.com
or call the project
information line at
(602) 648-2307.
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PHOENIX, AZ
PERMIT NO. 90
West Valley-North Power Line and Substation Project
P.O. Box 53999 Mail Station 8508
Phoenix, AZ 85072
West Valley-North Power Line
and Substation Project
Please attend the upcoming
Public Information Open House
Friday, February 27, 2004 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Countryside Elementary School, Multi-Purpose Room
15245 W. Greenway Road
Surprise, Arizona
If you are unable to attend the open house, please visit our web site
at http://siting.apsc.com or call 602-648-2307 to learn more about the project.
IMPOR
TANT INFORMA
TION
FOR PROPER
TY OWNERS
February 2004 Issue 1 general public regarding potential routes
and substation sites throughout the study
area. APS also will be seeking input from
committees representing jurisdictions and
landowners within the project study area.
URS Corp., a worldwide engineering/consulting
firm, has already begun environmental analysis
of the area to identify potential routes and
substation sites that minimize impacts to the
environment and community. APS also will
continue to seek input from agencies and the
general public, and further refine the proposed
routes and substation sites.
APS will then make its recommendation on
the facility locations based on the following
criteria:
The ability of the route to meet
APS electrical system requirements;
The ability of APS to obtain the
necessary rights-of-way;
Cost of construction, operation,
and maintenance;
Environmental impacts; and
Public input.
What Environmental
Factors Are Considered in
the Siting Process?
Siting new power lines and
substations involves consideration
of several environmental factors,
including: existing and planned
land uses, visual impacts, scenic
views, historic/archaeological
sites and biological resources.
Biological resources are defined
as areas of native plants, wildlife
habitat and/or the presence
of threatened or endangered
species.
A comprehensive study of
existing and future land uses,
as well as scenic resources, will
be conducted for the entire
study area. This data is gathered
from aerial photography, field
reviews, and specific information
regarding planned future land
uses. Future land use information
is provided by each jurisdiction
represented in the study area.
This data provides the initial
information needed to determine
opportunities for substation sites
and power line routes.
After preliminary alternatives
are identified for the proposed
facilities and the public
receives an opportunity to
comment on these initial
alternatives additional
inventories will be conducted
for historic/archaeological sites
and biological resources within
the vicinity of the proposed
facility locations.
Each alternative substation
site and power line route then
will be evaluated by resource
specialists. These specialists
will assess the potential impact
each alternative would have
on land uses, scenic views,
historic/archaeological sites,
and biological resources. After
all potential substation sites and
power line routes have been
assessed, they will be ranked
based on their overall level of
impact.
APS Seeks Input
at Public Open House
As with all transmission line and
substation siting projects, APS
seeks input from all parties who
may be affected. To this end, APS
will host its first project open
house from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Friday,
February 27, at Countryside
Elementary School, 15245 W.
Greenway Road in Surprise,
Arizona. At the Open House,
residents, business owners, civic
leaders and others will have
an opportunity to learn more
about the project, talk with APS
representatives and comment on
preliminary proposed routes and
substation sites.
However, attending the open
house is not the only way to
provide input to APS. Project
information may be accessed
through the project web site at
http://siting.apsc.com. Customers
also may call our telephone
information line, 602-648-2307.
Decision-Making Process
Once the siting process and
environmental analysis are
complete, APS will recommend
facility locations. This information
will be disseminated in a number
of ways, including through direct
mail newsletters, advertising and
meetings.
The company then will submit
an application to the Arizona
Power Plant and Transmission
Line Siting Committee. The
Committee will evaluate the
project, hold open hearings, and
then make a recommendation to
the ACC.
Both sets of hearings allow for
public comment. Ultimately,
the ACC decides whether
to grant APS a Certificate of
Environmental Compatibility,
which is required before
construction may begin.













































































































West Valley-North Siting Project Study Area