Will necessary power be there when required?

  The decision by Arizona Public Service to delay a large capacity power transmission line in our area will undoubtedly be welcomed by property owners who could have been impacted by it, but it raises questions about whether our community's power needs will be met.

  The proposed 230 kV transmission line to the south of Yuma had raised considerable controversy last year when APS was looking for possible routes for the line, especially from property owners who did not want it located near them.

   The line was to run from the existing North Gila Substation near Avenue 8E and County 6th to a new substation that would have been built in the southern part of Yuma. The objective was to bring badly needed power to our area from the Palo Verde Power Complex near Phoenix.

  The proposal was in reaction to a warning from Arizona utility regulators that the Yuma area was running out of electricity capacity and brownouts, or even blackouts, were likely if APS didn't provide added capacity. It was posed as an urgent need at the time.

  So what happened?

  APS regional manager Jim Valenzuela said the estimated need for power here is way down due to the poor economy. In other words, growth in Yuma, Somerton and San Luis has fallen off significantly.

  This is a little worrisome to us. Trying to "time" economic cycles can be hard, and Yuma does not always follow national or state trends.

  The line wasn't scheduled to go into service until 2012, two years after the expected recovery of the economy in 2010. Will the power really be there when it is needed, especially if the process has to be started over?

  APS officials say it will be there when the need dictates it. We certainly hope so because it could have a big impact on our community's ability to prosper and grow in the future.