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Clearway Energy outlines proposed 2-mile, 345 kV transmission line for Linn County
Summary
Clearway Energy representatives briefed Linn County commissioners on a proposed roughly 2‑mile, 345 kV generation-tie transmission line with 17 poles, small ground-footprint foundations and an estimated $30,000 annual county tax valuation; Clearway requested consideration of a development agreement and said it will attend Planning & Zoning.
Clearway Energy representatives presented a proposal to build a roughly 2‑mile, 345 kilovolt generation-tie transmission line to interconnect a nearby project to the grid. Barry Machit, representing Clearway Energy, told commissioners the line would require about 17 poles with foundations generally around 10 by 10 feet and towers roughly 100 to 130 feet tall.
Why it matters: the company said the line’s direct footprint would be small — roughly 2,900 square feet across Linn County — while enabling a large generation project to connect to the grid. Clearway estimated a preliminary property-tax valuation for the new infrastructure of about $30,000 a year, although the county assessor could reach a different figure during formal valuation.
Machit said the line is being designed as a point-to-point interconnection, not as a corridor that would automatically host multiple future projects: “This short generation line … cannot host additional projects on it,” he said. He emphasized Clearway’s coordination with Evergy and the Southwest Power Pool and said the project will follow federal and regional safety standards enforced through state oversight.
Josh Grama, a Clearway colleague, described completed interconnection studies and the signed generator-interconnection agreement with the regional operator: “We have a signed interconnection agreement with the Southwest Power Pool and with Evergy,” Grama said, adding that Evergy would perform the final bridging connection between the existing line and Clearway’s new line.
The company asked the commission to consider a draft development agreement and offered to appear as a technical resource at the Planning & Zoning meeting. Commissioners noted the county is currently in litigation on related topics and said they could receive information but would not engage in substantive dialogue at this meeting. Commissioners also asked that Clearway attend the Planning & Zoning venue where public input is allowed.
Next steps: Clearway said it will attend the scheduled Planning & Zoning meeting as a resource and will provide a draft development agreement for county review. Commission members did not take formal action at the meeting.
