Arizona Public Services Hosts Open House for New Power Line Project
On June 25th, Arizona Public Services (APS) organized an open house at Hilton Sedona Resort in Bellock, allowing local residents to learn more about the construction of a new 69kV power line linking McGuilleville to the village of Oak Creek.
This gathering followed a decision by U.S. Forest Service supervisor Aaron Mayville on June 12th, which indicated that the construction would not have significant environmental impacts.
APS has been actively reaching out to the public since 2018 regarding this project, which is projected to cost around $80 million, as noted by Frank Sanderson, the Northern Division Director. The new power line will connect the Oak Creek substation, located near the intersection of State Route 179 and Jacks Canyon Road, to the McGilleville substation. One of the goals is to enhance the power supply’s reliability and minimize the chances of outages.
“Yes, we’ve started,” Sanderson mentioned. “The initial phase involves overhead work near the McGuilleville substation, and I believe that activity will extend into the upcoming months.”
The line is slated to go live by spring 2026, and APS does not anticipate any power outages resulting from the construction processes. Generally, APS operations commence at McGuilleville and progress northward toward the Village of Oak Creek (VOC).
The line will start at the VOC substation and will run south along State Route 179. It dives underground at one point, then goes west before reaching Kelfox Trail, continuing south to the McGuilleville substation and finally connecting to Beaverhead Flats Road.
Additionally, this initiative will replace the aging wooden poles of the current 69kV transmission line with more durable steel poles designed to withstand severe weather conditions better.
However, residents in VOC have raised concerns regarding two main issues: the visual aspect of the new power line along Kelfox Trail and the potential wildfire risks from downed lines.
“We engaged with community members multiple times to address these visual concerns,” Sanderson noted. “We even hiked out to those locations to really understand their viewpoints. This design incorporates 65-foot weathered poles with a rust-colored finish, meant to blend with the surrounding landscape.”
According to the USFS decision notice, public feedback and advancements in technology allow for the installation of wildfire detection cameras on several transmission poles along fire-prone routes, thereby mitigating fire risks.
Moreover, Wade Ward from APS confirmed that one of these cameras was recently installed at Airport Mesa, providing a 360-degree view of the area, including the neighborhood between Mesa and Coffee Pot. This installation was first discussed during an APS presentation to the Sedona City Council on March 26th.
“Many comments highlighted the risks of wildfires and damage to private properties based on incidents in California, Colorado, or other areas,” noted the USFS in its responses to public feedback from January. “While power lines can be linked to significant wildfire events elsewhere, the study area here lacks a similar fuel profile. Thus, substantial fire incidents of the magnitude recently seen are unlikely in this project area due to local vegetation and conditions.”
As a non-profit community group based in BOC, we can only offer recommendations. The Big Park Regional Coordinating Council (BPRCC) previously raised $10,000 to support legal research aimed at exploring available legal options through Earthrise, an environmental non-profit law clinic in Portland, Oregon.
The BPRCC plans on convening on Thursday, July 10th to determine the next steps.
On June 20th, the proposed transmission line was noted in a message to BPRCC members: “The easement status for these properties is not yet final, and Big Parks are working on connecting to existing substations… The Council continues to keep an eye on this situation.”
APS has communicated that work generally occurs from 6 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday, except for major holidays, although weekend work might be necessary. “Work schedules may fluctuate depending on regulations from the Arizona Department of Transportation and other jurisdictions,” APS’s infographic stated.
Helicopters will be employed to install poles along Kelfox Trail, with short flights limited to daytime hours. Residents should anticipate some noise. Kendraly, the operations vice president at Summit Line Construction, mentioned that helicopter activity is tentatively scheduled for late summer or early fall, with a possible second phase in March.
“Yes, there will be helicopter noise,” Lee confirmed. However, flights “will be strictly for specific needs—delivering equipment, completing certain sections, etc.” Lee added, “Helicopter use might extend over several weeks during that timeframe, but that’s not the entire scope of the project.”
Officials at APS believe that the construction’s impact on local traffic will be minimal.
Residents can reach a hotline for updates and feedback at (602) 532-6222. More information is available online.
