STATE OF MINNESOTA OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS FOR THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION PUC DOCKET NO. E002/TL OAH DOCKET NO.

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "STATE OF MINNESOTA OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS FOR THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION PUC DOCKET NO. E002/TL OAH DOCKET NO."

Marilyn Scott
5 years ago
Views:

1 Direct Testimony and Schedules Grant Stevenson STATE OF MINNESOTA OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS FOR THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR A ROUTE PERMIT FOR THE PLEASANT VALLEY TO BYRON KV TRANSMISSION LINE PROJECT PUC DOCKET NO. E00/TL-09- OAH DOCKET NO DIRECT TESTIMONY OF GRANT STEVENSON On Behalf of APPLICANT NORTHERN STATES POWER COMPANY, A MINNESOTA CORPORATION October, 00 Exhibit

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE I. INTRODUCTION AND QUALIFICATIONS... II. DOUBLE CIRCUIT STRUCTURES... III. PIPELINE STUDY... IV. CONCLUSION...

3 I. INTRODUCTION AND QUALIFICATIONS Q. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND BUSINESS ADDRESS. A. My name is Grant Stevenson and my business address is Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 0. Q. BY WHOM ARE YOU EMPLOYED AND WHAT IS YOUR POSITION? A. I am employed by Xcel Energy Services Inc. ( XES ) as a Senior Transmission Project Manager. XES is the service provider for Northern States Power Company, a Minnesota corporation ( Xcel Energy ). My resume is attached as Schedule. Q. PLEASE SUMMARIZE YOUR EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE. A. I graduated from the University of Minnesota in 98 with a Bachelor s degree in Mechanical Engineering. After graduation, I joined Northern States Power Company as a Mechanical Engineer at the Sherburne County generating plant in Becker, Minnesota. I was responsible for managing projects to improve productivity, efficiency, and safety at the company s largest generating plant. I also managed contractors, plant operations, maintenance, and technical personal. Since 98, I have held positions with Xcel Energy with increasing responsibility. I became a Transmission Project Manager in September 000 and today I hold the title of Senior Transmission Project Manager. In my role as Transmission Project Manager I was a project manager for Xcel Energy s 8 megawatt ( MW ) wind outlet transmission projects in southwestern Minnesota from 00 until 00. The project included more than 00 miles of transmission lines and PUC Docket No. E00/TL-09- OAH Docket No

4 affected 9 substations. In August 00 I was promoted to Senior Transmission Project Manager. I provide strategic leadership and am responsible for capital project scope, cost, schedule, and risk management for the Pleasant Valley to Byron kv Transmission Project ( Project ) in addition to several other Xcel Energy projects including the CapX00 Hampton Rochester La Crosse kv Project. My resume is attached as Schedule. Q. FOR WHOM ARE YOU TESTIFYING? A. I am providing testimony on behalf of Xcel Energy, the Applicant for a Route Permit in this proceeding. Q. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF YOUR TESTIMONY IN THIS PROCEEDING? A. The purpose of my testimony is to provide information about Xcel Energy s request to have the flexibility to use double-circuit structures for a portion of the Project. I am also providing testimony regarding the potential issues involved with the close proximity of a transmission line and a natural gas pipeline given that a short segment of the Preferred Route shares the same road corridor as a pipeline. Q. WERE YOU INVOLVED IN THE PREPARATION OF XCEL ENERGY S ROUTE PERMIT APPLICATION IN THIS PROCEEDING? A. Yes. I contributed to the engineering and Project management sections of the Route Permit Application ( Application ) and was involved in the routing analysis. Q. WHAT SCHEDULES ARE ATTACHED TO YOUR TESTIMONY? PUC Docket No. E00/TL-09- OAH Docket No

5 A. Schedule : CV of Grant Stevenson Schedule : Map of Pipeline and Potential Double Circuit Area Q. ARE YOU AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF PARTICULAR SECTIONS OF THE ROUTE PERMIT APPLICATION? A. Yes. I am testifying in support of portions of Chapter of the Route Permit Application including Sections. (Project Schedule) and. (Project Cost), and portions of Chapter including Sections. (Transmission Structures and Right- of-way Design) and. (Transmission Line Construction, Restoration and Maintenance). II. DOUBLE CIRCUIT STRUCTURES Q. YOU MENTIONED THAT XCEL ENERGY IS REQUESTING THE FLEXIBILITY TO USE DOUBLE CIRCUIT STRUCTURES FOR A PORTION OF THE ROUTE, WHY IS THIS FLEXIBILITY NEEDED? A. After the filing of the Application, Xcel Energy became aware that Pleasant Valley Wind, LLC ( PVW ) is seeking local approval for a 8 kv transmission line that it plans to construct near the Pleasant Valley Substation in Mower County. This proposed 8 kv line shares the Preferred Route for this Project for. miles along 80 th Avenue. The map attached to my testimony as Schedule shows the portion of the Preferred Route that overlaps with PVW s proposed 8 kv line. At this time, Xcel Energy and PVW are exploring the possibility of double circuiting Xcel Energy s proposed kv transmission line with PVW s proposed 8 kv line to reduce impacts to landowners. As a result, Xcel Energy requests the flexibility to use double circuit structures for this PUC Docket No. E00/TL-09- OAH Docket No

6 portion of the route if an agreement can be reached between the parties to double circuit these two transmission lines. Q. IN THE EVENT THAT AN AGREEMENT IS REACHED, WHAT TYPE OF DOUBLE CIRCUIT STRUCTURES DOES XCEL ENERGY PROPOSE TO USE? A. The proposed structures would be single pole, weathering steel double circuit davit arm structures. The height of the double circuit structures will range from 90 to 0 feet. The spans between structures will typically range from 00 to 0 feet with a right-of-way of 80 feet. Structure base diameters for tangent structures will be to inches and will be 8 to 8 inches for angle structures. The foundation diameter for these double circuit structures will be to 9 feet. III. PIPELINE STUDY Q. YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE IS A PORTION OF THE PREFERRED ROUTE THAT SHARES THE SAME ROAD CORRIDOR AS A NATURAL GAS PIPELINE. WHERE IS THIS PORTION OF THE ROUTE? A. The Preferred Route for this Project shares the same road corridor as an existing Northern Natural Gas ( NNG ) underground natural gas pipeline for a short segment of the route along 80 th Street. The area of corridor sharing begins at a valve station located on the east side of 80 th Avenue beginning one-quarter mile north of 0 th Street and continuing to the north approximately. miles. The map attached to my testimony as Schedule shows the location of this pipeline in relation to the Preferred Route. PUC Docket No. E00/TL-09- OAH Docket No

7 Q. CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE POTENTIAL ISSUES THAT ARISE WHEN A TRANSMISSION LINE AND A PIPELINE SHARE THE SAME CORRIDOR? A. Steel pipelines which are buried in the earth must be protected from corrosion. This is typically accomplished by applying a protective coating on the pipe and using a cathodic protection system. The NNG pipeline along 80 th Street utilizes an epoxy coating and a direct current ( DC ) impressed voltage cathodic protection system. The system typically operates at less than two volts. When an alternating current ( AC ) transmission line is installed near a steel pipeline, the transmission line can induce a small voltage on the pipeline that can interfere with the pipeline s cathodic protection system and cause corrosion. Q. WHAT METHODS CAN BE USED TO REDUCE OR ELIMINATE INDUCED VOLTAGE ON A PIPELINE LOCATED NEAR A TRANSMISSION LINE? A. Induced voltage can be reduced or eliminated by physically separating the transmission line and pipeline by some distance. In addition, minor modifications to the transmission line design or changes to the pipeline cathodic protection system can also be used to reduce or eliminate induced voltage. Q. WHAT STEPS DOES XCEL ENERGY PROPOSE TO TAKE TO REDUCE OR ELIMINATE INDUCED VOLTAGE ON THE NNG PIPELINE? A. Xcel Energy has commissioned an AC interference study which will determine the appropriate physical separation and design changes that may be necessary for this Project. The results of this study will be available at or before the October, 00 public hearing. PUC Docket No. E00/TL-09- OAH Docket No

8 IV. CONCLUSION Q. DOES THIS CONCLUDE YOUR DIRECT TESTIMONY? A. Yes. 7889v PUC Docket No. E00/TL-09- OAH Docket No

9 Docket No.E00/TL-09- OAH Docket No Schedule Page of Grant David Stevenson, PMP Xcel Energy Nicollet Mall- MP8A Minneapolis, MN grant.stevenson@xcelenergy.com Experience Project Manager, Senior Project Manager 000 to present Transmission Business Unit, Xcel Energy, Minneapolis,.MN Provide strategic leadership to multidisciplinary teams on various high-profile transmission and substation projects. Work with planning, engineering, siting, construction, consultants and contractors to define scope of work, produce project estimates, gain capital spending authorization, establish project schedules, track and reconcile expenditures, gain permits, design, bid and construct capital projects to that meet budgets and in-service dates. Work extensively with the public and state regulatory officials during project pennitting phases to locate new transmission lines in areas that balance issues of land use, cost, impact to people and impact to the natural environment. Participate and lead public meetings and provide testimony in pennit proceedings. Recent project portfolio has included: Since 00, project manager for CapX 00 Fargo and LaCrosse projects. Project manager of Southwest Minnesota 8 MW wind transmission project, This $0 million project involved construction of 00 miles of new transmission lines, the reconstruction of 00 miles of existing lines, and impacted 9 substations. The project also required project agreements with electric utilities. SE Metro project, a rebuild of an existing line to double circuit. Bloomington relocation project, including kv double circuit underground construction. Sales and Customer Service Manager 999 to 000 Electric Sales and Customer Service, Northern States Power Company, Minneapolis,.MN Successfully led team of 0 account representatives to meet goals in sales, customer service, demand side management and customer satisfaction. Managed projects to improve customer satisfaction and team effectiveness. Hired, trained and coached employees on energy management, conservation, distribution reliability. Energy Management Engineer, Account Executive Northern States Power Company, Minneapolis, MN 990 to 999 Provided effective technical support to key industrial customers and NSP sales representatives regarding energy conservation programs and initiatives. Assumed role of Account Executive in 99, managing NSP's relationship with several demanding strategic customers. Led multidisciplinary teams to solve customer-specific electric reliability, power quality, capacity, and distribution construction problems. Plant Project Engineer 98 to 990 Sherburne County Generating Plant, Northern States Power Company, Becker, MN Managed contractors, directed work of plant operations, maintenance and technical personnel Managed projects to improve productivity, efficiency and safety at NSP's largest generating plant. Identified electrical and mechanical problems and recommended corrective repairs Professional Certification Certified Project Management Professional (PMP) by Project Management Institute, 007

10 Docket No.E00/TL-09- OAH Docket No Schedule Page of Education Project Management Institute Project Management Professional Training, 007 Minnesota Management Institute, University of Minnesota School of Management, 000 Intensive, condensed MBA-level business management curriculum. Minnesota Management Academy, University of Minnesota School of Management, 998 Management principles and skills for front-line managers. Post~graduate coursework at University of S. Thomas and University of Minnesota in economics, business law, marketing, manufacturing. Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, 98

Valley Substation D od g e O lm s te d M ow e r Map produced by: Northern States Power Company-Minnesota, an Xcel Energy Company Siting and Land

11 70th County Rd 9 90th Docket No.E00/TL-09-, OAH Docket No , - Schedule, Page of County Hwy 0th Pipeline Area th th Potential double-circuit area with RES (8 kv line) 80th 0th Project Area Pleasant Valley Substation D od g e O lm s te d M ow e r Map produced by: Northern States Power Company-Minnesota, an Xcel Energy Company Siting and Land Rights -- jwf/wkc DRAFT: October, 009 Routes Added: October, 009 Proposed Routes Preferred Alternate!!!!!! ") Route Width Existing 9 kv Existing kv Existing kv Substation Airport Feet 0 00,000,000,000 Map of Pipeline and Potential Double Circuit Area H

STATE OF MINNESOTA OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS FOR THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION DIRECT TESTIMONY OF GRANT STEVENSON. On Behalf of APPLICANT

EXHIBIT Direct Testimony and Schedules Grant Stevenson STATE OF MINNESOTA OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS FOR THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR A ROUTE PERMIT FOR THE