-August 7,2023-
The state agency that manages the electric grid grid, the California ISO, has approved a plan to import wind power based electricity from Wyoming that could flow here as soon as 2027. The agency is looking to booster a mix of supplies of power sources the are 100% renewable.
They plan to add more transmission lines in the state to bring in offshore wind, add more battery power facilities to store solar power into the evening hours and now import wind power from out of state allowing more diverse sourcing.
Wyoming has one of the highest wind power potentials of any state in the United States The TransWest Express (TWE) transmission project will build a 732-mile combined high voltage direct current (HVDC) and alternating current (AC) transmission line that has the potential to bring up to 3,000 megawatts (MW) of clean Wyoming wind power into California and other states in the desert Southwest.The line splits at the end of the HVDC portion in Utah, allowing 1,500 MW to go to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, while the remaining 1,500 MW can serve the ISO and NV Energy.
Costs for the $3 billion project will be recovered through TWE tariffs from subscribers using the transmission lines to move power and would not affect the ISO’s transmission access charge. The subscriber rights would pay for the generation, transmission, and congestion on the portion of the line used by the subscriber.
A ceremonial groundbreaking for the transmission line, which has been in the planning and development stage for some 20 years, took place in Wyoming on June 20, 2023. If successful in securing subscribers for the generation, TransWest Express plans to energize in 2027. Adding more wind power to our grid would also help bolster reliability, as demand for electricity is projected to grow significantly in the coming years through increased electrification of the transportation and building industries, and as California continues adding more renewable energy to the grid as part of its overall climate goals.