Dive Brief:
- The Bureau of Land Management on Tuesday approved large portions of the Gateway West transmission project in Wyoming and Idaho that could deliver 1,500 megawatts to the Northwest.
- The unit of the Interior Dept. signed off on eight of 10 project segments, but held off on the remaining two so that federal, state and local permitting agencies could reach a consensus on siting those segments.
- The joint project by Idaho Power and PacifiCorp consists of 230-kV and 500-kV lines spanning 990 miles between Glenrock in eastern Wyoming and the Hemingway substation in southwestern Idaho.
- "The line will strengthen the Western grid, bringing a diversified portfolio of renewable and conventional energy to meet the region's projected growth in electricity demand," Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell said.
Dive Insight:
Getting to a decision on the last two segments could take up to two years, BLM said. As it is, the project is expected to be completed in phases between 2019 and 2023. The delayed approval of the last two segments makes the line's ultimate construction more problematic as market conditions might change and lessen the need for the line.