Our team worked with Nashville Electric Service (NES) on three related electrical transmission line projects. Project goals were to identify routes with the least environmental, economic and social impact on residential areas while continuing to meet the growing demand for electrical services.
Our environmental studies and permitting team collaborated with our information management team to help identify potential routes.
A geographic information system (GIS) database was built with high-resolution aerial photography, roadways, parcels, buildings and land use using Arc/Info and ArcView. This was heavily used to identify each potential route. GIS analysis allowed each segment to be evaluated based on length, land use and the number of residential buildings impacted.
Several costly proposed routes were eliminated as a result of the analysis. Public involvement was also of key importance. Easily interpretable maps were produced for public meetings and data analysis results were discussed with a citizen advisory committee.
We saved NES time and money by identifying the most feasible routes for the three new transmission lines. We explained plans and alternatives to the public in an understandable manner. NES is updating its geospatial database with data generated from these studies.