OG&E seeks $13.3 million line upgrade between Ozark, Clarksville

OG&E is asking the Arkansas Public Service commission to approve the construction of a 161KV transmission line and upgrade certain power facilities between Ozark and Clarksville.

The more than $13.334 million project — including $827,538 in right-of-way costs — primarily includes the upgrade of an existing 26.3-mile transmission line connecting from Ozark, through Altus, Coal Hill, Hartman and on into the Little Spadra Creek substation near Clarksville (in Johnson County).

To fully operate the line at 161KV, the right-of-way along the path must increase from 50 feet to 70 feet, according to the OG&E request. The upgrade also will require transformer changes at other substations along the route.

“OG&E has, for the past several years, been engaged in a plan for the systematic upgrade of this area to 161 kV in order to meet increased system load and improve system reliability,” noted the application to the PSC. “The Company has also built or improved substation capacity in response to loadflow studies and load projections on its system. … The capacity of the existing transmission system in this area has reached its limit and there is no capacity available for additional growth or additional load without the conversion of this final phase of the area conversion to 161 kV.”

The PSC recently approved the OG&E plan to upgrade the transmission line from 69 kV to 161 kV along a 10.7 mile stretch that begins near Charleston and runs to the Short Mountain substation near Paris. That project was estimated to cost $12.67 million. OG&E officials say in the Mar. 9 filing that approval of the Ozark-Clarksville route would “complete the final phase of the long-term upgrade plan” to provide 161KV to that portion of the service area.

With PSC approval and all other permits obtained, the project would begin in May, with construction concluded by December and full service on the line by February 2011.

Oklahoma City-based OG&E has approximately 776,500 customers, with 64,700 in Arkansas. The company has 11 power plants and also purchases power to feed an electric transmission system that covers 30,000 square miles.