Q&A: The Cimarron Link Energy Transmission Line, Its Potential Impact On Green Country Counties

A privately owned clean energy company says after making agreements with landowners, it has half of the land needed for an energy transmission line in Oklahoma.

The project is called the Cimarron Link, and it would span 375 miles across the Sooner State, passing through Tulsa, Creek, and Okmulgee Counties.

Who is Invenergy?

Invenergy is a privately owned clean energy company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

What is the Cimarron Link?

The Cimarron Link is a transmission line project designed to serve the States Edge Energy Center in Cimarron and Texas counties. The project will create a path to market for energy generated in the Oklahoma Panhandle, allowing other projects in the region to deliver power through the line.

How long is the Cimarron Link?

The project spans approximately 375 miles, with a typical easement width of about 150 feet.

The transmission line will connect a western endpoint in the Oklahoma Panhandle to an eastern endpoint near Jenks.

The project study area includes parts of 19 counties: Alfalfa, Beaver, Blaine, Cimarron, Creek, Ellis, Garfield, Harper, Kingfisher, Lincoln, Logan, Major, Noble, Okmulgee, Payne, Texas, Tulsa, Woods, and Woodward counties.

How far along is the project?

Cimarron Link has negotiated easement agreements with landowners over the past 18 months and has secured more than half of the rights-of-way needed.

The project is in the development phase, including surveys, engineering, permitting, and land acquisition, which is expected to take two to three years. Construction will begin after the development phase, and the line is anticipated to be operational by 2028 following a two to three-year construction period.

Can landowners negotiate compensation for easement agreements?

Invenergy says Cimarron Link offers competitive compensation based on a premium to a fair market value of the land in the easement. Landowners can make counteroffers, and the company says it will increase offers if documentation supports higher land values.

Darren Blanchard, a landowner in Mounds, was offered $10,000 for half an acre.

"It's chump change," Blanchard said.

How much funding has the U.S. Department of Energy given to the Cimarron Link?

The U.S. Department of Energy announced that Invenergy’s Cimarron Link transmission project has been selected to enter award negotiations for a $306 million capacity contract through the DOE’s Transmission Facilitation Program.

What concerns do landowners have?

Before any negotiations, Blanchard says he has questions.

"Why do we have to intersect this land to create a new right-of-way when there's already an existing right-of-way that they could follow along? For the most part, they're doing that, but I haven't gotten a clear answer," he said.

A spokesperson for Invenergy responded,

"Many factors go into routing and siting the line, including engineering, environmental considerations, and landowner input. Cimarron Link uses high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission technology and does not have the ability to tie into existing alternating current transmission infrastructure."