ROYAL CITY — The Royal Slope area is getting more power. At least it will when the construction of a new transmission line and substation are completed in 2022.

On Wednesday, Feb. 5, Grant County PUD held the second of two public comment nights on the proposed transmission line going to the new Red Rock Substation, to be located at the Port of Royal Slope. The first meeting was held a week earlier.

For the past year, the Denver office of Stanley Consultants has been studying every possible route the new transmission line could possibly take, according to Matt Grylicki, one of the company’s representatives. Over the course of the study, 84 different possible routes were identified and rated on 18 criteria, such as environmental, economic and social impacts, proximity to houses and what corridors may be already in existence. Each route was given a score. The routes with the lowest average score are the routes then put forward for public comment.

“We do our due diligence,” Grylicki said. “We apply statistical analysis and look at everything on the routes.”

The public hearings were the final step in the process before selecting a final route. The hearings are important for both the consulting firm and the PUD; they provide on-the-ground, first-hand information from people who live in the area of the proposed line.

Once the final route has been chosen, engineers will determine such things as the location of each pole, the length of span between poles, what type of poles will be used and how deep they will need to go into the ground.

While a transmission line may look very simple, Grylicki said, “the lines are designed and engineered for public safety.”

Currently, Royal City and the Port of Royal Slope are being powered through the Royal City Substation. But that substation is nearing peak capacity. The new Red Rock Substation that the proposed transmission lines will be powering will initially have one 41-megavolt-ampere transformer, according to Randy Kono, a Grant County PUD electrical engineer. As more power is needed in the years to come, a second transformer of the same size can be added. The new substation will allow for future growth in the Royal City area.

“I think it is a really great deal,” said Port of Royal Slope Commissioner Frank Mianecki. “We’ve needed the substation for a long time. Thanks to the PUD for listening to us. None of this would have happened without their cooperation.”

A final proposal on which route the line will take is tentatively scheduled to be presented to the PUD commissioners in March. Construction on the project is expected to be done in March of 2022.

Rachal Pinkerton may be reached via email at rpinkerton@suntribunenews.com.