Dive Brief:

• Imperial Irrigation District (IID) is proposing a massive transmission project designed to deliver renewable energy onto the California grid and to neighboring states.
• IID, which serves southeastern California, believes the lines could help utilities meet their renewable requirements and fill in for the unexpected retirement of the 2,200-MW San Onofre nuclear power plant outside Los Angeles.
• The plan includes building 500-kV lines from IID's system to a San Onofre substation and to an Arizona Public Service substation in Arizona. The lines could each deliver 1,100 MW.

Dive Insight:

“This proposal aims to remove real barriers that limit the export of geothermal, solar/wind and biomass resources located in the Imperial Valley, including from the Salton Sea,” said Carl Stills, IID Energy Department manager.

The California Independent System Operator is reviewing the proposal, which could cost up to $1.7 billion. There are roughly a dozen proposed transmission projects that are being developed to deliver renewables to California from nearby states. This is the first major proposal that would export renewable generation from California towards the east.