Major Western Transmission Project Gets Final Federal Approval Needed to Start Construction

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
April 11, 2023

The Bureau of Land Management has issued a Notice to Proceed for the TransWest Express Transmission Project, the final federal authorization needed to start construction on the interregional, 732-mile high-voltage system.

The project will connect three planning regions, while adding 3,000 megawatts of transmission capacity to facilitate the delivery of renewable energy supplies, the project’s developer said on April 11.

About two-thirds of the project is located on federal land. The Notice to Proceed represents the last step of the BLM authorization process that began in 2008, said TransWest Express LLC.

TransWest has secured 100% of the linear rights-of-way for the project, as well as the necessary authorizations from the states and 14 counties hosting the project.

Siemens Energy is the project’s HVDC technology supplier. Also, the project has conditional approval to join the California ISO balancing authority area, the initial capacity allocation process is complete and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council rating process is complete.

The project’s HVDC and HVAC segments will connect to the existing grid in Wyoming, Utah and southern Nevada.

The project will provide the region with new access to wind-generated electricity from Wyoming, home of the best onshore wind resources in the continental United States, according to the developer.

The first stage of the project is expected to be completed in 2027.