Public-Private San Joaquin Transmission Line In the Works

A 600 MW transmission project in the San Joaquin Valley to begin service in 2023 to power water pumping in this region from the large federal Central Valley Water Project was announced Jan. 31.

This San Luis Transmission Project is being developed jointly by the Western Area Power Administration, the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority, the Bureau of Reclamation and Duke-American Transmission. Western Area Power Administration handles federal transmission and western federal hydropower.

“It will provide stable and durable power costs for the delivery of Central Valley Project water to our agriculture communities, municipal/industrial customers and refuges,” said Bureau of Reclamation Power Operations Division Chief Barry Mortimeyer. This agency transports water in California from the federal Central Valley Project, which largely serves agricultural interests.

“The project involves construction of a new 85-mile, 230,000-volt electric transmission line from WAPA’s substation in Tracy to the San Luis, O’Neill and Dos Amigos substations in the Los Banos area,” according to the Feb. 1 announcement by the transmission partnership.

The route is to parallel existing transmission lines running across non-irrigated ranch land.

Two thirds of the line’s capacity, 400 MW, is to be used by the Reclamation Bureau to move water to the San Luis &Delta-Mendota water agency, a major water user in California, and to other San Joaquin Valley water customers.

The remaining 200 MW of the transmission capacity will go to Duke America. It will sell that capacity to developers in the region.

The project costs, initially estimated at $323.5 million, are to be borne by the Central Valley Project water customers and Duke-America.

Construction of the line is expected to begin in 2021, said WAPA spokesperson Lisa Meiman.

WAPA is mandated to provide electric transmission service to the Reclamation Bureau and its customers.

This San Luis Transmission Project is fully permitted and in the construction-design phase. — Elizabeth McCarthy

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Public-Private San Joaquin Transmission Line In the Works

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