The project will connect 3GW of under-construction wind farms in Carbon county, Wyoming to load centres in Nevada, California and Arizona.
Approval from the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was the last green light needed for construction to start.
Developer TransWest Express plans to start construction later this year, and complete the first stage by 2027.
TransWest had said as recently as 2022 that the line would be open for business in 2025 – a timetable that has now slipped.
The transmission line will connect the 1500MW Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Phase I and 1500MW Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Phase II wind farms. They are the largest onshore wind projects in the US, and are being developed by a company affiliated with TransWest Express.
The Denver-based companies are owned by billionaire Philip Anschutz. His Anschutz Corporation also owns sports teams including the LA Galaxy (football) and the Los Angeles Kings (ice hockey) and music festivals such as Coachella.
“Public lands continue to play a vital role in advancing president Biden’s goal of achieving a net-zero economy by 2050,” said BLM director Tracy Stone-Manning.
“This large-scale transmission line will put people to work across our public lands and will help deliver clean, renewable energy. Our responsible use of public lands today can help ensure a clean energy future for us all,” she said.
“We appreciate the federal, state and local agencies and all of the other stakeholders who collaborated and diligently worked through the process with us to reach this day,” said Bill Miller, president and CEO of TransWest.
BLM, part of the US Department of the Interior, oversees public lands.
.png)
.png)
