Nov. 16, 2013 – Utah county commissioners, attorneys, clerks and other county leaders gathered in St. George this week for the 89th annual convention of the Utah Association of Counties.

Held Nov. 13-15, the event provides education and training to county officials from across the state, and this year featured entrepreneur and broadcaster Sean Tuohy as the keynote speaker. For the fifth consecutive year, TransWest Express LLC also joined in supporting the UAC annual convention as a sponsor and exhibitor.

TransWest representatives were on hand to update officials and answer questions about the TransWest Express Transmission Project, a proposed 3,000 MW HVDC transmission line designed to deliver renewable energy and help strengthen the capacity and reliability of the entire western U.S. power grid. More than half of the proposed route is in Utah, primarily following federally designated energy corridors and other linear infrastructure.

Among updates, TransWest highlighted the Draft Environmental Impact Statement released in July by BLM and Western Area Power Administration, which are preparing the EIS as joint lead federal agencies. The federal agencies held 13 public meetings/hearings, including eight hearings in Utah, to allow the public in-person opportunities to review and comment on the Draft EIS. More information is available on BLM project website. A Final EIS and the Records of Decision are scheduled for public release in 2014.

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