Southern California Edison (SCE) has completed first part of the Tehachapi renewable transmission project. When all phases are developed, the project will include a series of new and upgraded high-voltage transmission lines capable of delivering 4,500MW of electricity from wind farms, solar and other generation resources in Northern Los Angeles and Eastern Kern counties.
SCE has completed construction of the first three segments, which are capable of delivering 700MW of renewable energy. In December, the California Public Utilities Commission approved SCE’s application to build segments 4-11.
Construction of segments 4-11 is scheduled to begin later this year, pending final approval from federal land agencies such as the US Forest Service, with the project becoming operational in 2015. The project spans from eastern Kern County to the city of Ontario in San Bernardino County. It will cross portions of Antelope Valley, Angeles National Forest, San Gabriel Valley and western Inland Empire.
Theodore Craver Jr, chairman and CEO of Edison International, said: “The Tehachapi project recognizes the importance of tapping into renewable energy sources and exemplifies Edison’s commitment to help California meet its goals for a clean, green energy future.”