In an effort to tie into more expected solar facilities from the Ivanpah Dry Lake area, the California Public Utilities Commission approved the 1,400 MW capacity Eldorado-Ivanpah transmission line for Southern California Edison. “It’s a new backbone system” for renewable energy, said commissioner Dian Grueneich, along with the Techachapi, Sunrise, and Devers lines. In total, the transmission infrastructure represents about a $6.5 billion investment, said Grueneich. “It’s not ‘at any price,’” said commissioner John Bohn, supporting the facility’s expense. The approval, sponsored by commission president Mike Peevey, overturned an administrative law judge’s proposed decision denying Edison’s permit for the plant. That decision cited rate and environmental impacts of the project. The new decision grants Edison’s proposed cost of $360 million, plus a 15 percent contingency. Peevey’s decision stated the line is expected to bring in 717 MW of renewable power. The overturned decision found that--except for 300 MW--existing transmission lines are sufficient to transfer electricity from the area in San Bernardino County. On Sept. 21, the California Energy Commission approved the 392 MW Ivanpah solar-thermal power plant. The facility is set to be built by BrightSource and NRG Energy--with a $300 million investment by NRG. The total plant cost is expected at $1.37 billion. In a related move, the commission approved a permit for Edison’s 220 kV transmission line to connect the fossil-fueled CPV Sentinel to the grid. The cost is to be borne by the plant developers, not ratepayers.