Watch in HD as a 200-foot, high voltage (500000 volt) power transmission line tower is constructed in time lapse. This tower is just one of the many being built as part of a controversial green-energy project. This particular transmission line is intended to make electricity generated by the Tehachapi Wind Turbine Farm available to the Santa Clarita and San Fernando Valleys. While bringing much desired renewable energy into service, the power lines also traverse some very popular and ever-dwindling natural areas to the north of the greater Los Angeles area. Environmental groups and local residents fought the placement of certain portions of the route, arguing that sight pollution and fire suppression issues would result when the lines were placed so near to populated, recreational areas, but lost the battle against the big money. In spite of the political and environmental pros and cons, the whole construction process is quite fascinating, considering that many of these towers are being erected entirely with air (helicopter) support, greatly reducing the need to cut new roads into the national forest. After the pads are cleared and the concrete foundations bored and poured, crews erect a number of these towers in a single day by assembling pre-engineered pieces, which were fabricated elsewhere and flown in as needed. The large orange/red helicopter being used for the heavy lift operation is a Sikorsky (Erickson) S-64 Sky Crane, which has a lift capacity of 10 tons (20000 …
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