Blaine County is revisiting a longstanding proposal to bury a new transmission line underground, but it needs to solidify a plan to pay for the expensive project.
Idaho Power says the redundant line is necessary because the current one is nearly 60 years old, and the single power source that criss-crosses mountainous terrain puts Ketchum and Sun Valley at risk of extended outages.
Years ago, Blaine County decided the transmission line would need to be placed underground to protect the scenic corridor that stretches the valley along Highway 75.
“You can decide to protect the vibrant future of our community with something no one sees," said county resident Linda Potter, who spoke at a public hearing Thursday night. "To preverve our unique environment and vistas, along with a safe and secure power delivery," she continued.
Public commenters were also concerned about potential wildfire risk from sparks caused by above-ground power lines.
But, Idaho Power isn’t going to pay the $30-40 million cost to bury the transmission line, and after years of back and forth with the utility and the Idaho Public Utilities Commission, it's unclear how the county and residents will foot the bill.
One option is a levy, but there may not be enough voter support.
“It would be a pretty significant financial impact to taxpayers over that two-year period," said Blaine County Prosecutor Tim Graves.
Idaho Power could implement a surcharge for power users in that region or the county could decide to place only part of the transmission line underground, reducing the cost. In the meantime, Idaho Power says it needs to move forward with constructing the project in the near future.
Find reporter Rachel Cohen on Twitter @racheld_cohen
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