Big Ferguson Transmission Line Project

Project Overview

Spartanburg County has seen steady growth and an increased demand for electricity over the past several years. To help meet the community’s growing energy needs and provide the reliable, affordable and increasingly clean energy our customers deserve, upgrades are essential.

The Big Ferguson Transmission Line Project will help strengthen the grid and increase electric capacity for customers now and in the future. The project includes constructing a new 100-kilovolt (kV) transmission line and new substation.

The Big Ferguson Substation will be located at the intersection of Green Pond Road and South Carolina Highway 417. A new transmission line will be required to connect the new substation to the existing energy network.

Route Selection

We have appreciated your patience and professionalism as our project team carefully evaluated the alternative routes that we presented to you at the March 5, 2024, open house.

Choosing the best route for this new transmission line was a challenging process and one that was not taken lightly. Many factors were considered during the route study and siting process, including land use, engineering, natural resources, safety, reliability and community input collected during two open house meetings and during the public comment periods.

Selected Route

The selected route consists of segments G, E, F, B and C as they were presented at the open house on March 5, 2024, as well as in the previous notification and interactive map. Duke Energy will rebuild the existing de-energized line between our Sock Hill Substation near Highway 290 and Switzer Green Pond Road. From that point, the selected route will run generally west for 1.2 miles where it will cross Grogan Road, then continue southwest paralleling an existing natural gas line corridor for 0.8 mile. The route will then turn northwest for 1.5 miles crossing Vaughn Road, Switzer Green Pond Road and Chickenfoot Creek Road. The route will continue west for the remaining 0.9 mile before turning north into the Big Ferguson Substation site at the intersection of Highway 417 and Greenpond Road.

As compared to the other route alternatives, the selected route cumulatively minimizes impacts to the broadest array of environmental and community factors. It is in proximity to the fewest number of homes, crosses a minimal amount of sensitive environment resources such as streams and wetlands, and takes advantageous of paralleling an existing natural gas line cleared corridor and other property lines where possible. 

Next Steps

If your property is on the selected route, a representative from Duke Energy’s real estate team will reach out to you within a few weeks of you receiving the project notification. With respect to you and your property, the representative will be your contact and will work with you to negotiate a 68-foot-wide easement where the new line can be constructed. Before the exact 68-foot easement can be determined and negotiated, a survey of your property will need to take place. Once you and Duke Energy negotiate and agree to terms of the new easement, Duke Energy will compensate you for this easement.

Interactive Map

View the interactive project map.