Hobbs-China Draw 345kV Transmission Line Project

SWCA managed the NEPA process, including the development of an EA, for Xcel Energy’s (Xcel’s) Hobbs to China Draw 345-kV Transmission Line EA, involving 122 miles of high-voltage transmission line, new substations, and connections to existing lines in the area. This project crossed a mix of private, state, and federal lands.

Key resource issues were specially designated lands, visual resources, land use, and presence of habitat for the federally listed lesser prairie chicken. By far the biggest resource concern was the project area’s high density of sensitive cultural resources. SWCA’s tasks included project siting and routing, administration support, agency coordination, ROW acquisition support, technical resource studies, expert testimony, and preparation of a Plan of Development and detailed Access Plan, among other tasks.

The Hobbs to China Draw project in-service date only allowed for 3.5 years to site, design, permit, construct, and commission the facility. SWCA’s focus on responsive project management, coupled with our solid technical regulatory and resource expertise, overcame these obstacles and kept the project on track. Even better, SWCA’s experience working with the BLM allowed us to foresee and proactively seize an opportunity to gain several months in the schedule.