How Geospatial Data Can Benefit a New Greenfield T-Line

By: Brian Kruse, PS, Director, Power Geospatial Services 

Accurate geospatial data is crucial for siting and developing a new greenfield transmission line. It provides valuable support throughout all stages, including conceptualization, routing, design, construction, and record. A key benefit includes informed route selection, which helps avoid conflicts with existing infrastructure and utilities early in the design process rather than during construction. It also helps ensure structures, conductors, and anchors remain within their designated parcels and assists in securing easements, leases, permits, and purchase acquisitions. 

Conceptual Stage 

Publicly sourced data, such as landowner parcels, utilities, road and railroad right-of-way, and aerial imagery, are gathered and placed into an overall CAD database that can be exported as shapefiles for use by the developer and engineer in conceptual planning and feasibility studies. We refer to this as Constraint Mapping, a limited investment that helps ensure route options exist and focuses on which alignments make the most sense to move forward with. 

Routing Stage 

The project is usually flown for imagery and LiDAR acquisition to build an overall surface model, extract specific topographic and above-ground infrastructure features, and produce an orthometric photo for use as a CAD background. Subsurface utility engineering (SUE) or utility locating can be performed to help identify and accurately show which utilities are present, where they are located, and how to avoid them.  Boundary surveying is usually performed in the field at this point to accurately reflect the locations of select boundaries, landowner parcels, and existing rights-of-way. This data is placed into a CAD Survey Basemap, and title work is reviewed and evaluated to draft the land parcels and any existing encumbrances (easements) that may impact the alignment. 

Design Stage 

Engineers will also use data from the routing stage to complete and confirm the design of the new line. Geospatial can support and confirm the design by performing utility sweeps at the designed structure locations to verify that there are no conflicting utilities nearby, and by staking out items such as the proposed edge of easement, structures, guy anchors, and access points for any viewing purposes that may be needed by the developer, engineer, and/or landowner. When the alignment and design have been confirmed, the land survey team will produce easement exhibits and legal descriptions to help the land agent(s) with landowner negotiations and the securing and recording of the new right-of-way. 

Construction Stage 

Survey field crews can stake out items such as the right-of-way corridor, temporary easements, wetlands, and silt fences for use in vegetation clearing, to keep construction staff within the corridor/easement, and to keep staff out of sensitive/avoidance areas. Structures, guy anchors, temporary construction easements, and pulling easements can all be accurately staked to assist the contractor in erecting and constructing the infrastructure. 

Record Stage 

The newly installed infrastructure can be located through traditional survey methods or, more commonly, by flying imagery and LiDAR to verify where everything was built, confirm conductor tensions, verify clearances, and show the overall extent of construction impact. 

Real-world Examples Benefiting our Clients 

•  A developer reached out to request a field survey to determine whether it was feasible to build a new transmission line into an existing substation in western Texas, which was heavily surrounded by other transmission lines and underground oil/gas lines. We recommended producing a Constraint Map first, as the most cost-effective way to evaluate whether conditions would allow a route into the substation. A CAD database was developed using publicly available data, including an aerial image background, existing transmission facilities, known underground utility alignments, parcel and owner information, existing land boundaries, and existing easements/encumbrances, providing the client with a detailed, comprehensive picture of the site. We then recommended the most feasible and cost-effective option(s) for developing a new transmission line into the substation. All of this was completed without stepping out into the field. 
• During the routing stage of a new 12-mile transmission line in north-central Kansas, our field crews noticed a new distribution line was being installed along the south right-of-way of the township road. As part of the utility locating effort, our field crews located all newly installed power poles and marked stakes for poles not yet installed, and notified our Survey Project Manager, who then notified our utility client. Our utility client was able to modify their alignment and switch to the north side of the township road much sooner than originally anticipated, thereby avoiding the new distribution line. This was completed before any design engineering, so there was little to no impact on the project's overall budget. 
• During the routing/design stage of a new 10-mile transmission line in south-central Kansas, our design engineers noticed potential road sign impacts in the LiDAR and aerial imagery obtained by Westwood that could affect pole alignment and placement. We were in the field completing the boundary survey for the project when the client decided they needed the specifics of each sign. Our field crew then took georeferenced photos of each sign along the alignment in less than ½ a day to help the utility’s design group identify the purpose of each sign, determine ownership, and decide whether to design around the sign or move it without impacting traffic, by agreement with the state and local authorities. No site visit was required by the design team, and there was no impact on the project's overall design budget. 

Connect with our Power Geospatial Team 

From early route evaluation through final documentation, the right geospatial data can help teams identify constraints, make informed decisions, and keep transmission projects moving forward. Connect with our Power team to learn how we can support your next transmission project. 

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About the Author 

Brian Kruse, PS, is the Director of Power Geospatial Services at Westwood, with 27 years of industry experience. He brings extensive geospatial and surveying expertise to support complex power projects, working collaboratively with teams to deliver practical solutions throughout the project lifecycle.