Black & Veatch Transmission Line Capital Cost Calculator

Selection Multiplier
Voltage Class 500 kV HVDC Circuit 1
Conductor Type ACSR 1
Structure Lattice 1
Length Category > 10 miles 1
New or Re-conductor? New 1
Average Terrain Multiplier 1 1.41

Terrain Type Miles of Terrain Type Multiplier

Forested 0.125 2.25
Scrubbed/Flat 0.125 1
Wetland 0.125 1.2
Farmland 0.125 1
Desert/Barren Land 0.125 1.05
Urban 0.125 1.59
Rolling Hills (2-8% Slope) 0.125 1.4
Mountain (>8% Slope) 0.125 1.75
Total Miles 1.0

BLM Cost Zone Number ROW Miles in BLM Zone $/Acre

1 0.0833 $ 85.34
2 0.0833 $ 170.68
3 0.0833 $ 341.45
4 0.0833 $ 512.13
5 0.0833 $ 682.80
6 0.0833 $ 1,024.25
7 0.0833 $ 1,707.06
8 0.0833 $ 3,414.11
9 0.0833 $ 6,828.23
10 0.0833 $ 10,242.34
11 0.0833 $ 17,070.57
12 0.0833 $ 34,141.14

AFUDC/Overhead Cost 17.5%

Project Cost Results Per Mile Total

Line Cost $ 2,158,621.21 $ 2,158,621.21
ROW Cost $ 153,979.38 $ 153,979.38
AFUDC/Overhead Cost $ 404,705.10 $ 404,705.10
All Costs $ 2,717,305.69 $ 2,717,305.69

Transmission Cost Assumptions, ROW Widths, and Land Costs

Equipment 230 kV Single Circuit 230 kV Double Circuit

Column # 1 2
Initial Cost $959,723 $1,536,385
Multipliers
Conductor
ACSR 1 1
ACSS 1.08 1.08
HTLS 3.6 3.6
Structure
 Lattice 0.9 0.9
Tubular Steel 1 1
Length
> 10 miles 1 1
3-10 miles 1.2 1.2
< 3 miles 1.5 1.5
Age
New 1 1
Re-conductor 0.35 0.45

Right-of-Way Widths 230 kV Single Circuit 230 kV Double Circuit

Width (ft.) 125 150
Acres/mile 15.15 18.18

BLM Zone Land Costs

Land Market Value
BLM Zone Number 2015 Per Acre Rent ($/acre-year) ($/acre)
1 $ 9 $ 85
2 $ 17 $ 171
3 $ 34 $ 341
4 $ 52 $ 512
5 $ 69 $ 683
6 $ 103 $ 1,024
7 $ 172 $ 1,707
8 $ 345 $ 3,414
9 $ 690 $ 6,828
10 $ 1,035 $ 10,242
11 $ 1,724 $ 17,071
12 $ 3,449 $ 34,141

Assumed Line Utilization 60%

Full Load Adjustment 0.48

230 kV Single Circuit 230 kV Double Circuit

Capacity 400 800
Phase Current (amps) 1057 1057
No. Conductors Per Phase 1 1
No. Circuits Per Line 1 2
No. Phases 3 3
ACSR Size 1272 1272
Resistance 0.08305 0.08305
ACSS Size 477 477
Resistance 0.2253 0.2253
HTLS 477 477
Resistance 0.2275 0.2275

Line Loss MW / Mile 230 kV Single Circuit 230 kV Double Circuit

ACSR 0.1336 0.2672
ACSS 0.3624 0.7249
HTLS 0.3660 0.7319
1 2
 User Selection
Auto-calculated
Cumulative Cost/Mile Column # Adjustable Parameter
$ 1,536,385.20 7
$ 1,536,385.20
$ 1,536,385.20
$ 1,536,385.20
$ 1,536,385.20
$ 2,158,621.21

Weighted Miles
0.3
0.1
0.2
0.1
0.1
0.2
0.2
0.2

$/Mile of ROW Zone ROW Costs

$ 2,068.80 $ 172.40
$ 4,137.60 $ 344.80
$ 8,277.60 $ 689.80
$ 12,415.20 $ 1,034.60
$ 16,552.80 $ 1,379.39
$ 24,830.40 $ 2,069.19
$ 41,383.20 $ 3,448.59
$ 82,766.40 $ 6,897.17
$ 165,532.80 $ 13,794.34
$ 248,299.20 $ 20,691.52
$ 413,832.00 $ 34,485.86
$ 827,664.00 $ 68,971.72

$ 2,563,326.31 Per Mile (MW/Mile) Total (MW)

Project Line Losses 0.1652 0.17

345 kV Single Circuit 345 kV Double Circuit 500 kV Single Circuit 500 kV Double Circuit
3 4 5 6
$1,343,819 $2,150,318 $1,919,446 $3,071,735

1 1 1 1
1.08 1.08 1.08 1.08
3.6 3.6 3.6 3.6
 1 1 1 1
1.30 1.3 1.5 1.5

1 1 1 1
1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2
1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5

1 1 1 1
0.45 0.55 0.55 0.65

345 kV Single Circuit 345 kV Double Circuit 500 kV Single Circuit 500 kV Double Circuit
175 200 200 250
21.21 24.24 24.24 30.30

Converting Per Acre Rent to Land Market Value

Land Tax Rate 1.0% of rent

Capitalization Rate 10.0%

Updating Base Cost Values from 2012 to 2014 Dollars

Inflation Rate (2012-2013) 1.5%
Inflation Rate (2013-2014) 2.0%

345 kV Single Circuit 345 kV Double Circuit 500 kV Single Circuit 500 kV Double Circuit
750 1500 1500 3000
1321 1321 1823 1823
2 2 3 3
1 2 1 2
3 3 3 3
795 795 1590 1590
0.1278 0.1278 0.06765 0.06765
336.4 336.4 605 605
0.319 0.319 0.178 0.178
336 336 557 557
0.315 0.315 0.1860 0.1860

345 kV Single Circuit 345 kV Double Circuit 500 kV Single Circuit 500 kV Double Circuit
0.1606 0.3212 0.1079 0.2159
0.4009 0.8018 0.2840 0.5680
0.3959 0.7918 0.2968 0.5936
3 4 5 6
500 kV HVDC 600 kV HVDC
Circuit Circuit
7 8
$1,536,385 $1,613,204

1 1
1.08 1.08
3.6 3.6
 1 1
1.5 1.5

1 1
1.2 1.2
1.5 1.5

1 1
0.55 0.55

500 kV HVDC 600 kV HVDC

Circuit Circuit
200 225
24.24 27.27

500 kV HVDC 600 kV HVDC

Circuit Circuit
3000 3000
3000 2500
3 3
2 2
1 1
1780 1780
0.057344 0.057344
636 636
0.153776 0.153776
636 636
0.1635 0.1493

500 kV HVDC 600 kV HVDC

Circuit Circuit
0.1652 0.1147
0.4429 0.3076
0.4709 0.2986
7 8 10
Black & Veatch Substation Capital Cost Calculator

Selection Cost Component

Voltage 230 kV Substation Base Cost
New or Existing Site? Existing Circuit Breakers
Circuit Breaker Type Breaker and a Half HVDC Converter
# of Line/XFMR Positions 3 Transformer(s)
HVDC Converter No SVC(s)
Transformer Type 138/230 kV XFMR Shunt Reactor(s)
MVA Rating Per Transformer 200 Series Capacitor(s)
# of Transformers 2 AFUDC/Overhead Cost
SVC MVAR Rating 0
Shunt Reactor MVAR Rating 0 Total Substation Cost
Series Capacitor MVAR Rating 0
AFUDC/Overhead Cost 17.5%
Column # 1

Substation Cost Assumptions

Equipment 230 kV Substation 345 kV Substation 500 kV Substation

Column # 1 2 3
Base Cost (New Substation) $1,706,174 $2,132,718 $2,559,262
Cost Per Line Position $1,492,903 $2,239,354 $2,985,805
Ring Bus 1 1 1
Breaker and a Half 1.5 1.5 1.5
500 kV HVDC Converter $460,708,500
600 kV HVDC Converter $506,779,350

Shunt Reactor Cost ($/MVAR) $20,706 $20,706 $20,706

Series Capacitor Cost
($/MVAR) $31,059 $10,353 $10,353
SVC Cost ($/MVAR) $88,001 $88,001 $88,001
Transformer Cost ($/MVA)
115/230 kV XFMR $7,247
115/345 kV XFMR $10,353
115/500 kV XFMR $10,353
138/230 kV XFMR $7,247
138/345 kV XFMR $10,353
138/500 kV XFMR $10,353
230/345 kV XFMR $10,353
230/500 kV XFMR $11,388 $11,388
345/500 kV XFMR $13,459 $13,459
 New
Existing
500 kV HVDC Converter
600 kV HVDC Converter
No

Updating Base Cost Values from 2012 to 2014 Dollars

Inflation Rate (2012-2013) 1.5%
Inflation Rate (2013-2014) 2.0%
 User Selection
Auto-calculated
Cost Adjustable Parameter
N/A
$ 6,718,062
$ -
$ 2,898,840
$ -
$ -
$ -
$ 1,682,957.798

$ 11,299,859

$463,267,762
$509,765,155
Black & Veatch Transmission and Substation Cost Totals

Project Cost Results Per Mile Total

Line Cost $ 2,158,621.21 $ 2,158,621.21
ROW Cost $ 153,979.38 $ 153,979.38
Substation #1 N/A $ -
Substation #2 N/A $ -
Substation #3 N/A
Substation #4 N/A
Substation #5 N/A
AFUDC/Overhead Cost $ 404,705.10 $ 404,705.10
All Costs $ 2,717,305.69 $ 2,717,305.69

Total (MW)
Average Losses 0.17
User Selection
Auto-calculated