What is Three Corners Connector project?

 

 

The massive power line project that resulted in $60 million in federal grants for the City of Guymon and the Guymon Public School district has yet to be built. It might be three or more years away from becoming operational….yet the money is being handed out by the federal government.

It’s called the Three Corners Connector program and will involve up to a 300-mile, 525 kilovolt high voltage direct current transmission line connecting existing electric systems near Pueblo, Colorado and the Oklahoma Panhandle. It won’t be cheap. It will be a nearly $2 billion invetment in the two states and will reportedly improve grid resiliency and provide economic benefits through tax revenue payments, landowner payments and temporary and permanent job creation.

Who’s behind the massive effort? A Houston, Texas company called Grid United. The firm declared that it is “working to accelerate the  expansion and modernization of America’s transmission infrastructure to build a more resilient and economical electric system.”

Three Corners isn’t the only project advocated by Grid United.

The Three Corners Connector website says it will provide a valuable link between the U.S. eastern and western electric grids.

 

 

Three Corners Connector will be a 300 mile, 525 kilovolt high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line connecting the existing electric systems near Pueblo, Colorado, and the Oklahoma Panhandle, providing a valuable link between the U.S. eastern and western electric grids. Three Corners Connector will be open to all sources of electrical power generation and will be able to transport power in either direction along the line.

Not a single shovelful of dirt has yet to be turned because it is still in the planning and development phase. According to the website, a preliminary corridor for the transmission line has been identified and developments expect to finalize the route analysis and start filings with regulators. Final approvals aren’t expected until sometime in 2025. Then comes the process of securing land rights and regulatory approvals. It also means the Three Corners Connector won’t be operational until 2028.

Here’s how the website further described the process:

The ultimate route will be determined through a process that includes resource data evaluation, a suitability analysis, and landowner feedback and is currently anticipated to be up to 300 miles long, extending from an existing substation in Pueblo, Colorado, to a proposed substation near Guymon, Oklahoma. Converter stations will be constructed near each endpoint to convert between AC and DC energy, allowing for more efficient and reliable transmission. The route is still being developed and will not be finalized until input has been received from landowners, communities, and local, state and federal government officials.