The new power line will connect the nation’s largest onshore wind project to southwestern states.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) approved the TransWest Express transmission line, a power line that will move power from Wyoming to Arizona, Nevada, and California. The three gigawatts the line is capable of moving can power roughly 20 million homes, writes Gabriela Aoun Angueira in Grist.
According to Aoun Angueira, “The 18-year wait for this transmission line is a reminder of how complicated permitting processes can slow the country’s transition to clean energy.” Large projects like this are complicated by a lack of deadlines in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the fact that “transmission lines often cross multiple states, inviting opportunities for opposition and bureaucracy from multiple jurisdictions.”
As the article explains, “The TransWest Express could be particularly impactful for California, which has a goal of achieving 100 percent clean energy by 2045. To meet that goal, the state would need to retire fossil fuel sources like natural gas and coal plants while simultaneously accounting for increased power demand from sources like electric vehicles.”
See the source article for more information on the project and its proposed timeline.
FULL STORY: Massive transmission line will send wind power from Wyoming to California
New Power Transmission Line Approved in the Southwest
The proposed transmission line will transfer wind-produced power from New Mexico to cities in Arizona and California.
Wind Energy on the Rise Despite Federal Policy Reversal
The Trump administration is revoking federal support for renewable energy, but demand for new projects continues unabated.
Renewable Energy Overtakes Coal for First Time
Solar and wind power generated close to a third of U.S. electricity supplies in 2024.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.
Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.
Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service