Duke Energy to Host Information Sessions for New Local Projects
Maps of the new transmission lines as currently planned. On the left is the northern stretch of lines and on the right is the southern stretch. Noblesville and Westfield residents have until July 21st to submit comments, questions and concerns to Duke. You can do so by visiting their website at https://www.duke-energy.com/our-company/about-us/electric-transmission-projects/noblesville.
By Joe LaRue
Duke Energy will host four virtual information sessions and one in-person information session. These sessions will provide Westfield and Noblesville residents the opportunity to learn about two new transmission lines and one new substation Duke is building at the intersection of Westfield Road/Indiana 32 East and Moontown Road/North Gray Road in Hamilton County.
The virtual information sessions are spread across two days, June 7 and June 9, and each day will have two sessions. The meetings on June 7 are at 6 p.m. for the transmission line heading south from the new substation and 7:15 p.m. for the transmission line heading north from the substation. The meetings on June 9 are also at 6 p.m. for the southern line and 7:15 p.m. for the northern line.
Those interested in attending any of the virtual sessions can pre-register online at https://www.duke-energy.com/our-company/about-us/electric-transmission-projects/noblesville.
The in-person meeting is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, June 21 from 6 – 8 p.m. at Grand Park Sports Campus. Pre-registration is not required for the in-person meeting.
The projects are aimed at helping to improve reliability, reduce outages, strengthen the power grid against severe weather and prepare the Duke Energy system to better serve growing parts of Hamilton County.
According to the latest U.S. Census, Hamilton County is the fastest-growing county in the state. This rapid growth is expected to continue and is demanding more of Duke Energy’s local electric transmission system.
The backbone of this area’s electric system is a 230-kilovolt (kV) line that runs north to south, parallel to Moontown Road/North Gray Road. This high-voltage power line is feeding the local 69-kV transmission grid, which powers area distribution substations that bring electricity to homes and businesses.
A new substation and two new 69-kV electric transmission lines will be built to:
- Help meet the growing demand for electricity in the Noblesville and Westfield areas
- Help maintain the reliability and resiliency of local power lines and infrastructure
The new substation will be built near the intersection of Westfield Road/Indiana 32 East and Moontown Road/North Gray Road on land that Duke Energy purchased in 2019. Two new power lines will originate from this new substation and connect to an existing 69-kV transmission line to the south and a substation – Westfield Northeast – to the north. The new northern line will be approximately 3 miles long and the new southern line will be approximately 2 miles long, depending on the final routes selected.
A public comment period will run from June 7 to July 21, during which time residents may submit comments and questions. Those comments and questions will help to determine the final route for the new lines. Construction is expected to begin in 2023 and be completed in 2024.