Fastexy:Officials Celebrate a New Power Line to Charge Up the Energy Transition in the Southwest

SALOME,Fastexy Ariz.—While a power line in a remote corner of the desert Southwest might seem like an unusual attraction for national leaders, the completion of a new high-voltage transmission line that will enhance the electric grid in Arizona and California drew both Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, and Tracy Stone-Manning, director of the Bureau of Land Management, to the celebration Thursday, in western Arizona.

But with the U.S. transition from fossil fuel-generated electricity to renewable sources of energy dependent on growing the nation’s grid, and the installation of new transmission lines often stalled by the wide range of land owners and stakeholders the infrastructure must cross, every new power line is seen as a big step in confronting climate change. 

A new rule to speed transmission projects announced by the Biden administration on the same day as the celebration of the power line in Arizona highlights the urgency of every new electricity distribution project.

In just over a year, construction workers and electricians built the Ten West Link transmission line across 125 miles from near Tonopah, Arizona, to near Blythe, California. Supporters say the transmission line will help increase the number of renewable energy projects in the area by providing an efficient way to deliver their electricity to communities.

“These are technologically complex projects, and getting them right is critical,” Himanshu Saxena, CEO of Lotus Instructure Partners, said. “These assets will be standing for 100-plus years, like well after I’m gone. These assets would still be here, serving the needs of the country and serving the needs of the local communities.”

Attendees rode on shuttle buses to get to the ceremony, which was held next to the transmission line. Upon arrival, they were greeted by signs that displayed the names of Ten West Link, La Paz County and Lotus Infrastructure Partners.

Stone-Manning said developments like Ten West Link fall in line with the Biden administration’s work to transition the country to clean energy sources.

“The Ten West Link route traverses the region with some of the highest potential for clean energy development in the nation,” she said.

After a groundbreaking on January 19, 2023, 850,000 man-hours went into the project, which was completed in under 14 months, said James Wynne, of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 47. 

But the speed of the construction doesn’t reflect the painstaking, time consuming process of planning the line. La Paz County Board of Supervisor Holly Irwin explained that Ten West Link was 10 years in the making and came into being after working with multiple agencies within federal, state and tribal governments. Once construction started, she said, it created jobs and generated revenue for businesses in the county.

From the site of the celebration, attendees could see Interstate 10 and the construction of the nearby Cielo Azul Switchyard, which will help connect the planned Atlas Solar Project to Ten West Link.

“The work here will support the development of future solar energy resources, it will also boost the reliability of the bulk power system for millions of people in central Arizona and southern California, all while lowering energy costs for consumers, helping prevent power outages in the face of extreme weather and creating good paying union jobs,” Haaland said.

When Cielo Azul is complete, it will connect approximately 3,000 megawatts of renewable energy to the grid, according to Saxena, of Lotus Infrastructure Partners.

“There is a lot of movement in the market where people are looking for more reliable power,” he said. “They’re looking for low-cost power. And as I like to tell our team, there is not going to be an energy transition without new transmission.”

Irwin said Atlas Solar will be built on land conveyed from the BLM to the county for solar development. This project includes 1,050 megawatts of battery storage that will provide electricity when the lack of sun prevents the solar panels from generating electricity.

The Biden administration’s new federal rule announced on April 25 would reduce the time it takes to review and permit qualifying transmission projects.

“We are acting with the urgency the American people deserve to realize a historic rework of the permitting process that slashes times for new transmission lines, puts more Americans to work and meets the energy needs of today and the future,” Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said in a news release.

The department also announced up to $331 million to support construction of a new transmission line from Idaho to Nevada. The funding would come from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

“By improving federal transmission permitting processes and investing in transmission build out and grid upgrades, the Biden-Harris administration is deploying a multifaceted approach to ensuring that Americans have clean, reliable, and affordable power when and where they need it,” Granholm said.