HRWA Work on the Proposed TVA 161-kV Electrical Transmission Line Through Franklin and Parts of Williamson County 

Since the Spring of 2001, the Harpeth River Watershed Association has been involved in the TVA electrical transmission line that is proposed to connect an existing substation on Mack Hatcher Road in Franklin to a proposed substation out off Old Hillsboro Road in Williamson County.

HRWA has been communicating and working with the city of Franklin, Williamson County, landowners, the Heritage Foundation, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, TVA, Middle TN Electric Membership Corporation (MTEMC), and others on how to address the growing electrical needs in the area that includes encouraging active efforts at energy efficiency and designing a decision making process for electrical infrastructure that incorporates ecological, historic, aesthetic, and related local community concerns of the surrounding area.   

A study of the energy efficiency potential in Williamson County was done by Synapse Energy Economics with funds from the city of Franklin, Williamson County and Southern Land Company. For more information, see the Update on the 2002 newsletter article or the Tennessean cover story.

These three documents cover HRWA concerns for the ecological effects to the West Harpeth and main Harpeth River and issues related to the decision making process and lack of consideration of the role of energy efficiency: HRWA 2001 statement to TVA ,  HRWA 2003 comments TVA's proposed Environmental Assessment  and the HRWA February 2003 board resolution on the TVA line.

 This site is on the West Harpeth near Old Hillsboro Road and Old Boyd Mill Pike where a 500-kV TVA line runs North-South.  Actively eroding stream banks are a problem that was identified under many power line crossing from the HRWA Visual Stream Assessment project.
 Modifying current vegetation clearly practices under power lines and working with land owners to maintain low growing vegetation along streambanks can eliminate this problem. The most important problem in the Harpeth is too much sediment or dirt in the creeks and rivers from eroding streambanks, poorly controlled construction sites, and other problems. 
See the Harpeth River sediment study for more information.