top of page
Environmental and Land Use Criteria for Evaluation
​

Numerous factors are considered during the development of a transmission line project. Explore those considerations below.

​

Land Use

  • Length of Route

  • Number of Habitable Structures* Within 300 Feet of Right-of-Way (ROW) Centerline

  • Number of Parcels Crossed by Route

  • Length of ROW Using Existing Transmission Line

  • Length of ROW Parallel to Existing Transmission Line

  • Length of ROW Parallel to Other Compatible Existing ROW (Highways, Public Roadways, Railways, etc. — Excluding Pipelines)

  • Length of ROW Parallel to Apparent Property Lines

  • Percentage of ROW Parallel to Existing Compatible Corridors and Apparent Property Boundaries (Excluding Pipelines)

  • Length of ROW Through Parks/Recreational Areas

  • Number of Parks/Recreational Areas Crossed by ROW Centerline

  • Number of Additional Parks/Recreational Areas Within 1,000 Feet of ROW Centerline

  • Length of ROW Through Cropland

  • Length of ROW Through Pasture/Rangeland

  • Length of ROW Through Land Irrigated by Traveling Systems (Rolling or Pivot Type)

  • Number of Transmission Pipeline Crossings

  • Number of Transmission Line Crossings

  • Number of U.S. and State Highway Crossings

  • Number of Farm-to-Market Road Crossings

  • Number of Cemeteries Within 1,000 Feet of the Centerline

  • Number of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Registered Airports With At Least One Runway More Than 3,200 Feet In Length Located Within 20,000 Feet of the Centerline

  • Number of FAA Registered Airports Having No Runway More Than 3,200 Feet In Length Located Within 10,000 Feet of the Centerline

  • Number of Private Airstrips Within 10,000 Feet of the ROW Centerline

  • Number of Heliports Within 5,000 Feet of the ROW Centerline

  • Number of Commercial AM Radio Transmitters Within 10,000 Feet of the ROW Centerline

  • Number of FM Radio Transmitters, Microwave Towers, and Other Electronic Installations Within 2,000 Feet of the ROW Centerline

  • Number of Recorded Water Wells Within 200 Feet of the ROW Centerline

  • Number of Recorded Oil and Gas Wells Within 200 Feet of the ROW Centerline

Aesthetics

  • Estimated length of ROW within the foreground visual zone** of U.S. and State Highways

  • Estimated length of ROW within the foreground visual zone** of Farm-to-Market Roads

  • Estimated length of ROW within the foreground visual zone** of parks/recreational areas

Ecology

  • Length of ROW through upland woodlands

  • Length of ROW through bottomland/riparian woodlands

  • Length of ROW across mapped National Wetland Inventory wetlands

  • Length of ROW across known habitat of federally listed endangered or threatened species

  • Length of ROW across open water (lakes, ponds)

  • Number of stream crossings

  • Length of ROW parallel (within 100 feet) to streams

  • Length of ROW across 100-year floodplains

Cultural Resources

  • Number of archeological or historical sites crossed by ROW

  • Number of additional archeological or historical sites within 1,000 feet of ROW centerline

  • Number of National Register of Historic Places listed properties crossed by ROW

  • Number of additional National Register of Historic Places listed properties within 1,000 feet of ROW centerline

  • Length of ROW across areas of high archeological site potential

* Single-family and multi-family dwellings and related structures, mobile homes, apartment buildings, commercial structures, industrial structures, business structures, churches, hospitals, schools, or other structures normally inhabited by humans or intended to be inhabited by humans on a regular basis.

​

** One-half mile, unobstructed.

bottom of page