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.

• How does electricity arrive at my home?

• Just like roads and water and sewer facilities, electrical lines and facilities are a necessary part of

every community’s infrastructure. Much like our highway system, FPL's massive 71,500-mile power-

line grid is made up of large and small lines. If rolled out, these lines would wrap around the earth’s

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.

• Isn't it better to place power lines underground?

• 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.

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 FPL’s 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

Base map to include land use covers, county

boundaries, major roads, and

environmentally sensitive lands.

Length of measure for

transmission line

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.

Measure segments of

transmission line, add

up to find total

length.

Map showing length of

the transmission line. Map showing where

transmission line is placed and

what impact it may have on

certain land use types and

environmentally sensitive

areas.

Analyze if current location meets community needs and

minimizes effects on the local area.

Basemap to include aerial images, county boundaries,

major roads, cities, parcels and buffer zones.

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 Sheriff’s 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)

• The Goddard School(2.5

miles)

• 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: Parcels Acres

Manatee County 10,886 106,965

Sarasota County 1,474 27,736

Total: 12,360 134,701

Within Preferred

Corridor: Parcels Acres

Manatee County 132 28,458

Sarasota County 30 3,996

Total: 162 32,454

Within 400ft

Buffer: Parcels Acres

Manatee County 202 29,298

Sarasota County 53 5,666

Total: 255 34,964

<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 Watershed-

10 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

*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

New

Transmission

Line

Unit

230kV

Double Circuit,

Strung on both

sides,

Lattice Tower

Per mile $1,600,000

Total Cost: 24.5 miles $39.2 Mil

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%20ArcMap.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