The Department of Energy is committed to a major power line project connecting Utah and Nevada

The Ely-to-Mona line would bring millions in economic stimulus and increase energy options in and out of the state.

This story is part of The Salt Lake Tribune’s ongoing commitment to identifying solutions to Utah’s biggest challenges through the work of the Innovation Lab.

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US Department of Energy It has committed to financing a 214-mile electric transmission line It connects Utah and Nevada and can flow in both directions, meaning it can bring power to Utah and deliver Utah power to other places as needed.

500 kV Intersecting line It will run between the Robinson Summit substation north of Ely, Nevada, and the Clover substation near Mona. There, it will connect to the South Gateway Line, now under construction, which connects to wind farms and other resources in Wyoming. It will also connect to other mainlines near the Intermountain Power Plant outside the Delta, opening up larger markets for both producers selling the energy and utilities buying it.

“The Cross-Tie system will increase electricity reliability for people in Utah,” Maria Robinson, head of the Department of Energy’s Office of Grid Deployment, said in a phone interview.

She said the line would allow more Nevada and California solar energy to reach Utah when it’s cheap while also allowing more Utah power to flow from a variety of out-of-state sources when needed. It will bring more Wyoming wind energy to other western states.

The project was one of three major transmission projects announced by the Department of Energy on Monday. The others were a line connecting Arizona and New Mexico and another connecting New Hampshire and Vermont. The three projects represent a $1.3 billion commitment, and Cross-Tie will represent roughly a third of that amount, Robinson said. All three are part of the comprehensive overhaul of the country’s grid needed to provide more clean electricity.

Robinson’s office also announced the completion of the National Transmission Needs Study, which found that the U.S. Mountain region would need nearly 2,300 gigawatt-miles of new transmission to reach ADA goals. Cross-Tie will save 14% of that. (A gigawatt-mile is a measure of the length and capacity of a transmission line.)

The current grid was built to take power out of large power plants, most of which are powered by climate-destroying fossil fuels. The future grid will integrate both intermittent sources such as wind and solar along with more dispatchable sources such as hydroelectric, geothermal and utility batteries.

“Our current transmission system is in desperate need of modernization, and investments like this not only increase the reliability of our electricity system, but also unlock affordable, pollution-free energy sources such as wind, solar and geothermal,” Sarah Wright said. , CEO of Utah Clean Energy, a nonprofit organization that works on energy solutions in the state.

Robinson said the federal government has committed to purchasing transport capacity on the three lines. “It’s not a grant, it’s not a loan,” Robinson said. “The federal government is committed to purchasing energy on this line.”

This commitment will allow the project To begin construction in 2025. Robinson said the Energy Department will in due course sell transmission capacity to utilities and recoup the federal investment.

Transmission lines can take more than 10 years just to complete the permitting and approval process, but the Cross-Tie project is already a “mature” project that has cleared several administrative hurdles, Robinson said. The project is expected to be operational in 2027 or 2028.

The Department of Energy estimates that during the construction period, the project will stimulate $761 million in economic activity and lead to the creation of 4,100 job opportunities in the two states. The project developer is trans canyon llc, A partnership between Berkshire Hathaway US Transmission and Pinnacle West Capital Corporation. Berkshire Hathaway Transmission is part of Berkshire Hathaway Energy, which also owns Pacificorp, the parent company of Utah’s largest electricity provider, Rocky Mountain Power. Pinnacle West is the parent company of Arizona Public Service, Arizona’s largest electricity provider.

Tracy Reese, spokesman for the Utah Energy Development Office, said OED Director Greg Todd will meet with Cross-Tie officials next month, and he had no comment before then.