Open houses focus on Kirkwood’s utility plans
By Cathy Locke, Sacramento Bee
Two open houses regarding a power line project to serve the Kirkwood community will be sponsored by the U.S. Forest Service.
The sessions are scheduled April 30 and May 3 to discuss the environmental impact reports for the project, which is intended to provide electrical power to the Kirkwood Meadows Public Utility District.
The project proposes to construct, maintain and operate a 28-mile power line that would connect the Kirkwood service area to the regional electric grid at Salt Springs Reservoir. The line would be owned and operated by the utility district to provide the Kirkwood community with a more reliable, cost-stable and cleaner source of electricity, according to a Forest Service news release.
The line would be constructed in El Dorado, Alpine and Amador counties.
About 3.1 miles would be built along an existing overhead line between Salt Springs Reservoir and Bear River Reservoir. The remaining 25 miles would be buried.