California eyes Nevada power
Gridliance, an independent electric transmission company with assets in southwestern Nevada, is working to interconnect with California’s grid to deliver power generated by renewables in the Silver State.
Gridliance has proposed to develop its Silverado Renewables Connection plan to the California Public Utilities Commission, as the Golden State works to source new, low-cost renewable energy generation to meet its climate change goals.
The public utilities commission in California identified more than 2,000 megawatts of renewable generation in southwestern Nevada. The California Independent System Operator, which Valley Electric Association Inc. had joined in 2013, will now launch a study of the CPUC plan and the transmission capacity needed to deliver power from Nevada.
“We commend the CPUC for their forward-looking approach to meeting California’s nation-leading climate change goals and are excited to work with CAISO to study the needed improvements to the transmission system,” GridLiance President and CEO Calvin Crowder said in a press release. “There is pent-up demand for these upgrades, and we stand ready to begin work on the Silverado Renewables Connection to expedite the deployment of these renewable resources.”
The CPUC identified the 2,000 megawatts in Nevada as part of its Integrated Resource Plan.
CAISO is pegged to study the CPUC’s plan this year during its transmission planning cycle, according to Gridliance. CAISO is expected to finalize its recommendations in March 2022.
Gridliance states the project would create thousands of jobs and over a half-billion dollars of economic activity in southwestern Nevada.
Gridliance acquired a 164-mile 230 kilovolt transmission system, which stretches across Nye and Clark counties, in 2017 for just over $200 million from Valley Electric.
Gridliance noted in its release that the first phase of its proposed Silverado Renewables Connection project would upgrade the electric transmission company’s existing 230-kilovolt transmission lines.
