The TransWest Express Transmission Project is being developed by TransWest Express.
The DOI signed its record of decision, which is the last step for agencies in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process.
The HVDC line will extend from south-central Wyoming to the site of a potential interconnection near Delta in Utah.
The line would later reach the Marketplace Hub near Hoover Dam in Southern Nevada where the interconnections to the grids of California, Nevada and Arizona are present.
It could take at least three years to construct the transmission line and could create about 1500 direct construction jobs in the process.
The line will help California in achieving its climate goals to reduce green house gas emissions, while strengthening the grid and meet the energy demands of at least 1 million homes at the same time.
TransWest president and CEO Bill Miller said: “The Western U.S. needs new interregional transmission infrastructure like the TWE Project, which will allow California and other Desert Southwest utilities to directly access high-capacity Wyoming wind to balance and diversify their generation portfolios in a cost-effective manner.
“Today’s important federal permitting milestone further advances the TWE Project’s progress and brings this critical infrastructure project one step closer to construction — creating employment opportunities across the West.”
Image: A map of TWE’s HVDC transmission line. Photo: Courtesy of TransWest Express LLC.
