GIS Analysis of the Bobwhite-Manatee Transmission Line

Erin S. Ganzenmuller
May 1, 2014

UWF GIS4043/L

Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions FPL Service Area Project Background Study Area Line project cartographic model Objectives:
Homes within proximity of the transmission line Schools within proximity of the transmission line Imposition on communities, land owners or parcels, and
environmentally sensitive lands

Length of the transmission line (related to engineering/cost).

Questions / Comments Resources

FAQs: Planning for a Brighter Future

The Role Power Lines Play

Why are power plants, lines and substations necessary?

Florida Power & Light Company provides an essential service. We take our obligation to serve residents, businesses, and governmental entities throughout the state very seriously. FPL is regulated by the Florida Public Service Commission and must construct basic electric facilities in order to distribute electricity from generating plants to our customers. Just like roads and water and sewer facilities, electrical lines and facilities are a necessary part of every communitys infrastructure. Much like our highway system, FPL's massive 71,500 -mile powerline grid is made up of large and small lines. If rolled out, these lines would wrap around the earths equator not once or twice but three times. Transmission lines are larger and operate somewhat like interstate highways and expressways. Distribution lines are smaller than transmission lines and function similar to streets and avenues that crisscross communities and neighborhoods. FPL does not oppose placing lines underground. However, it is important to note that there are both pros and cons to building lines overhead and underground. The reliability of overhead and underground lines is comparable. For example, both underground and overhead lines are subject to lightning damage. Although overhead lines may have more exposure than underground lines to wind damage or collisions, underground facilities are prone to flood damage, especially in coastal areas where exposure to salt water could cause an outage. The key difference between underground and overhead lines is that it typically takes more time with underground lines to diagnose the problem and make repairs. This difference in repair time is best characterized in days rather than hours.

How does electricity arrive at my home?

Isn't it better to place power lines underground?

FLP Service Area

This graphic shows the FPL service area Includes Manatee and Sarasota Counties

Background of Project
230-kilovolt transmission line Many paths considered using Geographic Information
Systems (GIS)

1,275 alternatives evaluated Community members contacted for input Comments considered by FPLs project team Route chosen provides ability to serve new customers in
growing areas of Manatee and Sarasota Counties east of I-75

Can be built for reasonable cost

Study Area

Manatee and Sarasota counties are in central Florida on the western side of the peninsula Manatee County Population: 322,833
(2010)

Sarasota County Population: 379,448

(2010)

Study Area
Parts of central Manatee and northern Sarasota County Transmission line runs approx. 24.5 miles

Bobwhite-Manatee Transmission Line Project Cartographic Model

The goal of this project is to find a feasible and acceptable route for a transmission line crossing the Manatee Sarasota County boundary and analyze specific factors originally considered in locating the transmission line.

Criteria 1: Identify homes within proximity of the transmission line.

Criteria 2: Identify schools within proximity of the transmission line.

Criteria 3: Identify possible impact to communities and environmentally sensitive lands

Criteria 4: Identify length of the line (related to engineering/cost).

DOQQ imagery, conservation lands, county boundaries, major roads, NWI study area information, Manatee and Sarasota county parcels, preferred parcels , buffer zones of residences and schools near transmission line

Basemap to include aerial images, county boundaries, major roads, cities, parcels and buffer zones.

Base map to include land use covers, county boundaries, major roads, and environmentally sensitive lands.

Length of measure for transmission line Measure segments of transmission line, add up to find total length.

Use buffer tool to create a proximity of transmission line in regards to residential and school properties and public land use.
Map showing a proximity buffer of transmission line impacting residences. Map showing a proximity buffer of transmission line impacting schools.

Use intersect tool to find parcels and environmentally sensitive lands that fall within transmission line area.

Analyze if current location meets community needs and minimizes effects on the local area.

Map showing where transmission line is placed and what impact it may have on certain land use types and environmentally sensitive areas.

Map showing length of the transmission line.

Objective 1 - Homes
Relatively few homes in close proximity

41 homes identified
30 homes within 400
buffer

11 homes within corridor

75% of homes identified

outside of corridor

Objective 2 - Schools
Generally avoids schools and school sites
No schools directly impacted by corridor

5 Schools identified in study

area Closest school within 1 mile Robert Willis Elementary School All other schools 2+ miles Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch

Witt Elementary School McNeal Elementary School R. Dan Nolan Middle School

Objective 2 Daycares
Generally avoids schools and school sites
No daycare sites directly impacted

3 Daycare facilities
identified

Sprouts Child Development

Center (0.25 miles)
miles)

The Goddard School(2.5

Broadbent Family Day Care

Home (2.5 miles)

Land Cover

Land cover of Manatee

and Sarasota Counties diverse

Most of the new line

follows property lines or co-located with road rights-of-way

Corridor Land Cover

Focused view of land cover within preferred corridor

Broken up into three sections:

Northern Corridor Central Corridor Southern Corridor

Primary land cover type: Row/Field Crops

Impacted Parcels
Study Area:
Manatee County Sarasota County Total:

Parcels 10,886 1,474 12,360 Parcels

Acres 106,965 27,736 134,701 Acres

Within Preferred Corridor:

Manatee County Sarasota County
Total: Within 400ft Buffer: Manatee County

132 30 162
Parcels 202 53 255

28,458 3,996 32,454

Acres 29,298 5,666 34,964

Sarasota County Total:

<2% of Parcels in Study Area are impacted by Corridor +/or Buffer

Objective 3 - Conservation Lands

Avoids large areas of environmentally sensitive lands

10,395 Acres of Conservation

Lands within Study Area

Impacted Conservation Areas:

Lake Manatee Lower Watershed10 acres Lake Manatee State Park- 63 acres Heritage Ranch Conservation Easement- 91 acres

Less than 1.6% of conservation

lands in study area impacted

Objective 3- Wetlands and Uplands

Avoids large areas of environmentally sensitive lands

Study Area covers 137,720

acres Unimpacted:

80.5% Uplands 11.5% Wetlands

Impacted:
5.6% Uplands impacted 2.4% Wetlands impacted

Objective 4 - Length and Cost

Line can be built along route for reasonable cost
New Transmission Line
Double Circuit, Strung on both sides, Lattice Tower

Unit

230kV

Per mile $1,600,000

Total Cost:

24.5 miles $39.2 Mil

*Unit cost per mile shown is based on flat land/rural setting, engineering and construction costs only. Environmental, Permitting, and Right of way Acquisition costs are not included.
Ng, P. (2009, February 26). Cost Guide for Transmission Lines. Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Retrieved May 1, 2014, from http://www.caiso.com/2360/23609c2864470.pdf

Summary
Ideal route after consideration of 1,275 alternatives Meets objectives
Relatively few homes in close proximity Generally avoids schools and school sites Avoids large areas of environmentally sensitive lands Line can be built along route for reasonable cost

24.5 Miles at cost of $39.2 Million

Questions or Comments?
You may contact FPL regarding this project at Bobwhite-Manateeproject@FPL.com or call us toll free at 1-800-693-3267

References
http://www.fpl.com/ http://www.fpl.com/environment/lines/bobwhite.shtml http://www.fgdl.org/metadataexplorer/explorer.jsp http://www.caiso.com/2360/23609c2864470.pdf http://support.esri.com/em/knowledgebase/techarticles/detail/30806 http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/main/10.2/#/Multiple_Ring_Buffer/00080000001p000000/ http://www.gps.caltech.edu/gislab/HowTo/Creating%20and%20Editing%20Shapefiles%20in%20ArcMa p.pdf http://data.labins.org/2003/

http://uwf.edu/abloechle/GIS4043/Final_Project/bobwhite_110306.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manatee_County,_Florida http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarasota_County,_Florida