The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) board of Governors has approved 13 new projects under the 2016 transmission plan.
The plans projects, which are expected to cost $288m, have been identified last year before California increased its renewable energy goal to 50% by 2030.
The 50% target was not considered for the plan, but will be central to planning cycles in the future.
The projects are all reliable developments each of which would cost less than $50m. These are neither policy driven, nor economically driven.
Of the total projects, five were initially identified in the planning process and the remaining eight were added later on.
Some of the approved projects include Panoche – Ora Loma 115 kV Line Reconductoring, Bellota 230 kV Substation Shunt Reactor, Cottonwood 115 kV Substation Shunt Reactor, Delevan 230 kV Substation Shunt Reactor, Ignacio 230 kV Reactor, Los Esteros 230 kV Substation Shunt Reactor, Wilson 115 kV SV.
Other projects include 15 MVAR Capacitor at Basilone Substation, 30 MVAR Capacitor at Pendleton Substation, Reconductor TL 605 Silvergate – Urban, Bay Boulevard 230 kV Transmission CircuitTL600: "Mesa Heights Loop-in + Reconductor and Eagle Mountain Shunt Reactors.