III. Protests

Several homeowners (Homeowners) along the Southern Portion of the First Project filed protests.⁸ The City of Weed also filed a protest,⁹ but later withdrew it.¹⁰

The Homeowners protest aspects of the First Project not addressed in this decision because they are located in the Southern Portion of the proposed project. In particular, they object to creation of a new transmission corridor across pastureland adjacent to or on their properties. They propose an alternate route for the relatively short stretch of transmission line that PacifiCorp proposes on or near their property on several grounds, including environmental impact, need and cost. The assigned Administrative Law Judge has also directed several questions to PacifiCorp regarding the appropriateness of an alternate route on engineering, cost and need grounds.

Each of the issues raised by the Homeowners is the subject of an October 5-6, 2006 hearing, and will be addressed in a subsequent decision. This decision approves only that stretch of the First Project (the Northern Portion) about which the parties have no current dispute.

⁸ Don and Judy Mackintosh's Protest to PacifiCorp Application to Construct a New Transmission Line, filed Dec. 30, 2005; Chris and Shelly Pappas' Protest to PacifiCorp Application to Construct a New Transmission Line, filed Jan. 12, 2006; and Leonard and Barbara Luiz's Protest to PacifiCorp Application to Construct a New Transmission Line, filed Jan. 17, 2006.

⁹ City of Weed's Protest to PacifiCorp Application to Construct a New Transmission Line, filed Jan. 24, 2006.

¹⁰ [City of Weed's] Withdrawal of Protest, filed June 14, 2006.