Residents in the vicinity of a planned new electrical site had an opportunity to voice their concerns and get answers Friday morning.
A public hearing was held for a planned 4-County Electric substation site on Bluefield Road southwest of Starkville.
The hearing was held in a courtroom at the Oktibbeha County Courthouse with Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley presiding.
Presley said public hearings were required by law to allow citizens an opportunity give public input.
"4-County put on their case today and explained the need for need for the substation in the area," Presley said. "I expect to approve that at some time next week, and give them the green light to begin construction." Peggy Rogers was the sole citizen to comment, asking about potential safety issues from having a substation nearby.
“The route that they’re bringing it from comes right across my area and my relative's area, so I’m very much concerned about that,” Rogers said.
Rogers said the hearing was informative for her.
She also asked what factors went into 4-County’s site selection.
“We had several sites in the area that would meet the electrical requirements for various loads that needed the additional capacity,” said 4-County Director of Engineering Lynn Timbrook. “As Mr. (David) Sanders (4 County Electric attorney) said, the two substations that support the area in western, southwestern and southern Starkville that 4-County services. They’re a long distance from that area.”
Timbrook said the substation would be instrumental in helping the current= growth along Highway 25 and Highway 12.
“There is no adverse effect,” Sanders said. “There is absolutely none.”
The cost of building the substation will be approximately $3 million.
“We anticipate that this substation will be able to provide about 10 megawatts of capacity to the Cornerstone Park that had not previously been available,” Timbrook said. “Hopefully, that will give us the ability to bring in some tenants to that park. It’s also going to provide some capacity that is needed to serve the other residential and small commercial businesses that are springing up in that area, as well.”
The substation project also had to pass through a joint process with the Tennessee Valley Authority, which provides transmission services for 4-County.
The process was in place to make sure the substation is worth the TVA’s costs involved in transmission to the site.