Power line route sparks concern

WASILLA — The plan to connect the Matanuska Electric Association’s new natural gas-fired power plant to its grid of power lines has some here concerned about impacts to their properties.

“People in commercial offices don’t want to be located right below a massive power line,” said Len Niesen who, with her husband, is in the middle of subdividing 10 acres of land to use for office space along the Palmer-Wasilla Highway across from The Home Depot.

She spoke at a hearing MEA held Thursday at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center to gather input on the project.

Wasilla Mayor Verne Rupright said he’s worried the project could adversely impact the city.

“It will have negative impacts on its growth and its development and its pride in its community,” Rupright said.

He said he would like to see the lines buried, rather than strung out on poles. He also said he believes the big, 80-foot power poles (much taller than standard poles) would impact the approach to the city along the Parks Highway.

Ken Ray owns commercial property in the Hyer Road area near the Parks Highway that would be impacted. He said he is opposed to putting the lines through there. He noted that a hotel on the south side of the highway is for sale for $2 million.

“There will be a sticker shock once you start trying to buy up right of way along the Parks Highway, and I think that’s unfortunate for ratepayers,” Ray said.

MEA spokesman Kevin Brown said that MEA’s preferred route has a number of advantages over other routes. First and foremost, it’s mostly following existing lines, which makes a big difference on costs and impacts.

“This is the lowest cost option that has the least impact on private properties because it’s primarily in existing rights of way,” he said.

Most of the project will be replacing existing poles with larger poles to handle the heavier lines.

As for burying the lines, Rupright wasn’t the only person who favored it. Paul Gardner, who owns the Wasilla shopping center with Value Village in it, also said burying the lines would be a better course of action.

“We spent $232,000 burying lines in front of our center,” he said. “We know what it costs. It’s a lot of money. We understand that.”

But it’s worth it to avoid those impacts, he said.

Brown said that industry estimates show the difference between above-ground lines and below-ground lines is that the buried lines cost eight to 10 times as much. And maintenance, though there’s less to do, is much more costly when it does have to be done.

“Eagle River has buried large portions of the lines,” Brown said. “And we have to assess them a 2 percent surcharge to cover those costs.”

Contact reporter Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.