Are High Tension Power Lines Necessary?

JALEEL STERLING

ASHLEY CARLONI

DAVID BERNHART

ELIZABETH ANDERSON

What are high powered tension lines?

High powered tension is the bulk transfer of electrical energy, from generating power plants to electrical substations located near demand centers.

Types of transmission lines

Extra-high Voltage (230,000V and up) More Efficient: Fewer losses will occur in a higher voltage transmission

line than a line with a lower voltage

“Bundled” conductors: In higher voltage lines multiple wires can be hung from the same insulator, which increases the power carried by a single circuit

Sub-transmission lines (69,000V-161,000V): Used to transmit electrical energy between stations located close to one

another (less than 100 miles apart)

Typically do not carry as much energy as extra-high voltage lines

Distribution lines (13,800V-34,500V) Transmit energy to its end use

Commercial facilities, small factories, small house transformers

Map of high powered tension lines In the U.S.

Facts about high powered tension lines

Use of high voltage direct current (HVDC) to transmit large amounts of power from the generating station over long distances

Voltages vary from 138kV to 765kV

Radiate Powerful Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) Electrical Field: the part of the EMFs that can be shielded.

Magnetic Field: the part of the EMFs that can penetrate stone, steel and human flesh.

Both fields are invisible and perfectly silent.

Viewpoint #1High Tension Power Lines are harmful humans and the environment

Negatives of high powered tension lines

High powered lines form (EMF) Electric and Magnetic fields EMF occur naturally and as a result of the Power generation, Power Transmission, Power distribution and use of electric power.

EMF is fields of force and is created by electric voltage and current. They occur around electrical devices or whenever power lines are energized

Magnetic fields: result from the motion of the electric charge or current, such as when there is current flowing through a power line or when an appliance is plugged in and turned on. Appliances which are plugged in but not turned on do not produce magnetic fields.

EMF Effects Human beings:

Short Term Health Problem:

Headaches

Fatigue

Anxiety

Insomnia

Prickling and/or burning skin

Rashes

Muscle pain

Long term Health Problem:

Risk of damaging DNA

Risk of Cancer

Risk of leukemia

Risk of Neurodegenerative disease

Risk of Miscarriage

How EMF effects you by distance

Negative Statistics

From the British Medical Journal: Researchers found the children living within 650 feet of power lines had a 70% risk for leukemia than children living 2,000 feet away or more.

From Epidemiology: Several studies have identified occupational exposure to EMFs as a potential risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases

From Epidemiology: There is “strong prospective evidence tat prenatal magnetic exposure may be associated with miscarriage risk.”

From the Internal Medicine Journal: People who lived within 328 yards of a power line up to age 5 were five times more likely o develop cancer as an adult. People who lived within 328 yards of a power line up to age 15 were three times more likely to develop cancer as an adult.

EMF Effects on Agricultural lands and farms

Transmission lines can affect farm operations and increase cost.

Most impact depends om the line design.

Transmission lines can affect: Field operations

Irrigation

Aerial spraying

Wind breaks

Hinder future consolidation of farm fields or subdividing land for residential development.

Viewpoint #2High Tension Power Lines are more efficient and not proven to be harmful

There is no real evidence to support the causation of cancer

Scientists that claim the EMFs from high tension power lines cause cancer have found correlations but no true evidence to prove that living near these transmission lines actually causes cancer

Many studies contradict each other

This is likely to be a long-term disagreement between scientists with no real conclusion in the near future

Lower Radiation Frequency than household appliances

Efficiency

Wires on more efficient high-voltage power lines do not get as hot, which results in substantially lower electricity losses in the process of moving power into communities.

Lower losses between generation sources and load centers mean a reduction in the required electricity output needed to transport power and meet demand.

Efficiency Chart

Our ViewpointHigh Tension Power Lines are necessary!

Why high tension power lines are necessary

High demand for electrical energy

Without them, generation would have to take place near or where the energy is used

Low voltage power lines result in great losses during transmission

High tension power lines transport large amounts of electrical power over long distances

.Our Opinion

Burying High Voltage Power Lines: When compared to overhead high voltage power lines, underground

lines are: Safer

More friendly on the environment

More Reliable

More efficient

More cost effective

And have less impact on: Health

Property devaluation

Sources:

http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.cfm?id=8930

http://www.iject.org/vol4/spl1/c0047.pdf

http://www.bpa.gov/news/pubs/GeneralPublications/lusi-Power-lines-and-crops-can-be-good-neighbors.pdf

http://psc.wi.gov/thelibrary/publications/electric/electric10.pdf