General FAQ

Grid United, an independent transmission company based in Houston, Texas, is developing Three Corners Connector.

Three Corners Connector benefits both customers and power producers in Colorado and Oklahoma. Benefits include:

  • Allowing power producers to export excess energy during periods of low demand and high generation,
  • Saving Colorado and Oklahoma customers over $2 billion over the project’s lifespan,
  • Providing access to new markets for power producers,
  • Increasing electricity reliability,
  • Mitigating impacts of extreme weather events, and
  • Creating jobs and stimulating the local economy in the host communities.

By connecting the two largest electric grids in the United States, transmission lines such as Three Corners Connector will strengthen the U.S.’ electric transmission grid to create a more resilient, reliable, and efficient electric system that takes advantage of the nation’s abundant and geographically dispersed natural resources to benefit all consumers.

Numerous studies by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and other government and nongovernmental organizations have demonstrated a need for long-distance transmission projects, including high voltage direct current transmission lines like Three Corners Connector.

Three Corners Connector’s route is 290 miles with endpoints in Pueblo, Colorado and Guymon, Oklahoma.

The project gathered stakeholder feedback and survey data. In the first quarter of 2025, the project will submit a proposed route for regulatory approval. The route will remain “proposed” until it receives approval from county, state, and federal regulatory bodies.

Yes, a small portion (less than 9% of the proposed route), is on public lands, though the vast majority is on private lands.

HVDC technology is the most efficient way to transport electricity over long distances. To find out more, click here.

By utilizing direct current (DC) technology, electricity can be sent in either direction, east or west. Three Corners Connector will transport electricity when and where it is needed. It can serve to balance the electricity needs in the Western and Eastern Interconnect grids.

The low levels of EMF from transmission lines are difficult for human beings to perceive, and the magnetic fields created are not perceptible. There are no known health impacts that result from transmission lines. The magnetic field of a DC line is similar in nature to the natural magnetic field of the Earth (the same field that allows a compass to work), and the strength of the magnetic field at the edge of the ROW is comparable to the strength of the Earth’s field. There is no stray voltage from a DC line, and DC lines do not induce voltage on nearby surfaces. To learn more, click here.

The Three Corners Connector project team is actively engaging with stakeholders along the route. Additionally, there will be opportunities for public input on anticipated impacts during the permit approval processes. If you would like to get in touch with the Three Corners Connector project team, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Landowner FAQ

Yes. Although the project acquired easements, the land will still belong to the landowners and can continue to be utilized for activities such as farming, grazing cattle and other activities that interfere with neither the construction nor operation of the line.

Whenever feasible, the proposed route follows property lines or existing infrastructure. Land agents worked with landowners on route placement during the landowner consultation phase.

The project acquired a 200-foot ROW from landowners along the proposed route. Additionally, the project will acquire Additional Temporary Workspace (ATWS) as needed for construction.

Construction/
Reclamation FAQ

Construction typically involves the following:

  • Site Preparation: Clearing tower locations, laydown yards, and staging areas of vegetation and upgrading access roads
  • Foundation Construction: Installing concrete foundations to anchor the transmission structures
  • Structure Construction: Assembling the transmission structures from the ground up
  • Wire-Stringing Operations: Stringing the conductor from structure to structure, attaching to the insulators on each structure for the entire length of the route
  • Restoration: Upon construction completion, cleaning and restoring the right-of-way to pre-construction condition

 

Construction for Three Corners Connector will take approximately three years. Certain land use practices will be restricted while construction is taking place on your land such as excavations or topographic changes. When construction is complete, we will restore the easement area to its original condition and appearance, at which point landowners can resume normal use with a few exceptions, laid out in the executed Easement Agreement.

Yes, all topsoil, up to 12 inches, or topsoil to depth of cultivation, whichever is greater, will be stripped and segregated.

Reseeding will occur in compliance with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Landowners will also have the option to provide a specified seed mix.

Construction and maintenance of the towers and converter sites require a combination of temporary and permanent access roads. These roads will be identified during the landowner consultation phase, and landowners with access roads on their property will be compensated accordingly.

Construction crews will make an effort to access the right-of-way from public roads that intersect or are adjacent to the right-of-way. Once an access road is established, construction will follow the right-of-way to the next access road location, which will preferably be located at the next public road crossing. In some instances, depending on topography or other environmental conditions, off-right-of-way access may be needed to facilitate the construction or maintenance of the line.

Permitting FAQ

Multiple permits and approvals are required prior to construction, including state regulatory approvals, land use permits, highway crossing permits, construction stormwater permits and demolition notifications. Three Corners Connector is currently coordinating with local, state, and federal permitting authorities and will continue to do so over the course of the project’s development.

 

Federal Permits

United States Fish and Wildlife

Endangered Species Act (Section 7 or 10 Consultation)

Consultation involves a review of a project’s potential to affect listed endangered or threatened species. Through consultation, US Fish and Wildlife may identify certain conservation measures to protect sensitive habitats and reduce the potential for direct or indirect effects to a listed species.

 

United States Army Corps of Engineers

Clean Water Act Section 404 – Nationwide Permit 57 Electric Utility Line and Telecommunications Activities

US Army Corps of Engineers authorization is required for construction activities that result in fill or dredge within waters or wetlands. The authorization process involves strict rules to protect water resources and ensure activities do not result in impacts to water quality. For projects like Three Corners Connector, there’s a specific type of permit (Nationwide Permit 57) that applies to power lines and allows limited impacts for the purpose of construction and operation of a transmission line.

 

Local Permits

Bent County

Special Use Permit (SUP)

A special use authorization is a type of zoning authorization that requires a detailed review by the County to confirm compatibility with county zoning and land use planning objectives before the activity can proceed.  It involves reviewing how the project might affect nearby properties, the environment, and fit within the County’s development plans.

 

Otero and Pueblo County

Area and Activities of State Interest (1041) Permit

Similar to a local zoning and land use management process, the 1041 process is a local permitting authority, in which a County can designate permitting standards and process for certain types of activities and in certain designated areas. The general intention of the 1041 process is to allow for local governments to maintain their control over particular development projects even where the development project has statewide impacts.