June 28, 2002—The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) recently approved an agreement to eliminate a longstanding electric transmission bottleneck in California. The bottleneck exists along an 84-mile stretch of electrical transmission lines in the Central Valley connecting southern California with the northern part of the state—a stretch known as Path 15. State grid officials reported the bottleneck contributed to rolling blackouts in northern California early in 2001.
FERC signed the agreement in April with Trans-Elect Inc., Pacific Gas & Electric Co., and Western Area Power Administration (WAPA). It will provide $1.5 million in initial funding and outlines the overall terms and conditions for the project. Building a third transmission line and other upgrades will allow an additional 1,500 megawatts (roughly enough to power 1.5 million households) of electricity to be transmitted across the state. The project will cost an estimated $306 million. The new 500-kilovolt transmission line could come online as early as fall 2004.
For more information, contact WAPA.
