Sewickley Council overcomes Duquesne Light line concerns

Sewickley council members have approved Duquesne Light's right-of-way access for a high-voltage power line connecting the substation near Riverfront Park to an access point across the Ohio River in Moon.

The line will cross the river twice at 195 feet in the air. It will connect to a substation on Jarod Drive.

Council members expressed concern about two steel poles for the line detracting from the town's aesthetics.

The utility considered running a 4.5-mile line along Route 65 from its Ambridge substation, but state Department of Transportation regulations prohibit power lines along state highways, and officials said doing so would have cost nearly $30 million.

The line crossing the river will cost nearly $3 million.

Duquesne Light officials said it will increase the stability of Sewickley's power grid and reduce outages. The substation powers about 6,500 customers.

Duquesne Light plans to add two 138-kilovolt transformers and replace most of the substation with more-efficient equipment.

Work is expected to take nearly a year to complete.

Neighbors questioned the company's expansion, citing health concerns and a decrease in property values.

Duquesne Light officials said the utility wants to be a good neighbor.

"Everyone expects to flip the switch, but nobody wants the poles and wires and things that go with it," said Jodi Novel, an attorney for Duquesne Light.

A start date for construction has yet to be determined.


Source: pittsburghlive.com