The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) has formally taken operational control of Ten West Link, a 125-mile high-voltage transmission project that will enhance the western electric grid and bring more than 3,000 megawatts of renewable energy resources to consumers throughout California and the Desert Southwest.
Ten West Link, which was developed by DCR Transmission, L.L.C. (DCRT), a joint venture led by affiliates of Lotus Infrastructure Partners, a private investment firm focused on energy infrastructure investments, will improve electric grid efficiency and reliability, while enabling new renewable energy and energy storage resources.
At the recent ribbon cutting for Ten West Link, Mark Rothleder, Chief Operating Officer of the CAISO said, “This monumental initiative stretching 125 miles from Tonopah, AZ to Blythe, CA represents not just the physical connection of two states, Arizona and California, but the bridging of efforts towards a sustainable future. The economic impact of this project is profound, and the access to 3,200 megawatts of clean, low-cost energy will be a game changer. This project has brought together communities, engineers, environmentalists and policymakers in a shared vision of a future where clean, safe energy is not just possibility, but a reality.”
“We are pleased to bring this project to fruition for the CAISO and ratepayers across the region,” said Himanshu Saxena, Chief Executive Officer of Lotus Infrastructure Partners, “On behalf of the entire team of professionals responsible for developing this incredible project, I want to thank the CAISO, the California Public Utilities Commission, Arizona Corporations Commission, the United States Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Land Management, and the dozens of other federal, state and local agencies and jurisdictions who have worked tirelessly the last nine years to make Ten West Link a reality. This infrastructure project will unlock thousands of megawatts of renewable resources while improving the reliability of the bulk transmission grid, and is a testament to the tireless work of our team and their partners across the government and private industry.”
Ten West Link is now under the operational control of the CAISO, with more than 7,000 megawatts of renewable energy resources currently applying to interconnect to the bulk transmission grid via the line.
