Aug 8 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Steve Ramirez Las Cruces Sun-News, N.M.

An El Paso Electric Co. proposal to add as much as another 14 miles of transmission lines and build another substation on Las Cruces East Mesa has numerous residents concerned about the plans.

The company wants to build a new substation and install 115 kilovolt transmission lines in areas not already served by El Paso Electric. The new substation would connect to the Arroyo and Jornada substations.

"The proposal is intended to provide increased reliability by expanding our utility," said Larry Thoenen, manager of governmental project management and quality assurance for El Paso Electric. "It's obvious that Las Cruces is growing at a rapid pace and El Paso Electric has to be able to keep up with that pace to continue serving its customers."

As many as 75 East Mesa residents attended a meeting last week, at Cesar Chavez Elementary School, to learn more about the proposal and to ask questions.

"The neighbors are worried about the impact," said city Councilor Gil Jones, whose district includes the East

Mesa.

Susan Caldwell, a city resident who could be affected by the project, said she and her neighbors are worried about high-powered overhead electrical lines, the size and proximity of where electric poles would be located, and particularly one company proposal that would place power pole and lines, and the new substation, along Central Avenue, which is between Porter and Holman roads.

"Central is really not a true street. For the most part it's not even paved," Caldwell said. "A lot of these transmission lines would bisect several neighborhoods. Out here, all of the people who live out here did so because they all wanted to be away from that."

Caldwell added that while development of the East Mesa is inevitable, many residents live out there because their views of the Organ Mountains are not disturbed.

But Thoenen said company officials are not committed to a specific plan, and public comments and questions will continue to be accepted.

"We're doing a reasonableness check here," Thoenen said. "...There could be an infinite number of possibilities."

Thoenen added it's probably at least a year away before construction could start.

Steve Ramirez can be reached at sramirez@lcsun-news.com

Power boost

-- El Paso Electric wants to build a new substation on Las Cruces' East Mesa and install about 14 miles of transmission lines.

-- It will be at least a year before El Paso Electric can start the proposed project.

-- Public comments about the project are still being accepted.

-- For more information, or to ask questions, call (575) 523-3509 or e-mail questions or comments to: rknox@millerbrooksenv.com.

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