Biden-Harris Administration Celebrates Groundbreaking of New Transmission Line, Delivering Clean, Reliable, Affordable Energy to Millions of Americans

Date: Thursday, January 19, 2023
Contact: Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov

TONOPAH, Ariz. — Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, and National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi today celebrated the groundbreaking of Ten West Link, a new 500kV high voltage transmission line that will connect Southern California and Central Arizona and deliver clean, reliable, affordable electricity.

The Department of the Interior approved construction of the line in July 2022, and today’s groundbreaking represents another milestone in the Biden-Harris administration’s broader efforts on accelerating transmission buildout to lower consumers’ energy costs, prevent power outages in the face of extreme weather, and create good-paying union jobs. The event was held at the construction site of the fifth transmission structure along what will ultimately be a 125-mile transmission line. At peak construction, Ten West Link expects 365 union jobs on the line.

“The Ten West Link in Arizona demonstrates a very important point: when we invest in climate, we invest in families, in communities, in opportunity and prosperity for all people,” said Vice President Kamala Harris. “When we invest in climate, we build a safer, cleaner, healthier, more just, and more prosperous country. When we invest in climate, we invest in America.”

“The Ten West Link will accelerate our nation’s transition to a clean energy economy by unlocking renewable resources, creating jobs, lowering costs, and boosting local economies,” said Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. “Through robust engagement with states, cities and Tribes, the Biden-Harris administration is committed to diversifying the nation’s renewable energy portfolio while at the same time combatting climate change and investing in communities.”

“Today’s announcement showcases the exciting potential of building reliable energy infrastructure that harvests abundant American-grown clean energy. The Biden-Harris administration is determined to create good-paying, unions jobs while addressing climate change head-on—and we’ll continue to see projects like Ten West being made in every pocket of the nation for years to come,” said Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “Thanks to President Biden’s historic clean energy and climate laws, we finally have the resources we need to build out this new economy on American soil, with American workers.”

“The local IBEW workers putting steel in the ground for the Ten West project are delivering on President Biden’s vision for cleaner, more reliable, and more affordable energy for all Americans,” said National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi. “The Biden-Harris administration will always be a partner to the workers that are building a clean energy economy that’s made in America.”

The Ten West Link route traverses a region with some of the highest potential for utility-scale solar photovoltaic energy development in the nation. The project will provide critical transmission infrastructure to support the development of future utility-scale solar energy resources and will boost the reliability of the bulk power system for millions of customers in Central Arizona and Southern California. The project will have a conductor capacity to transmit 3,200 megawatts (MW) of solar capacity and provide interconnection capability for new energy projects located in the region. It is expected to be operational by the end of 2023.

Following the project’s initiation in 2014, the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Arizona worked closely with a variety of stakeholders as the lead federal permitting agency to develop the best possible route. By collaborating closely with partners, the BLM was able to avoid impacts to military readiness and operations, local communities, popular recreation areas, Tribal lands and the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. The BLM approved the project in November 2019 and authorized construction in July 2022.

The project will have a conductor capacity to transmit 3,200 megawatts (MW) of solar capacity and provide interconnection capability for new energy projects located in the region. It is expected to be operational by the end of 2023.

Additionally, the BLM is currently processing 64 utility-scale onshore clean energy projects proposed on public lands in the western United States. This includes solar, wind and geothermal projects, as well as interconnected gen-tie lines that are vital to clean energy projects proposed on non-federal land. These projects have the combined potential to add over 41,000 megawatts of renewable energy to the western electric grid. The BLM is also undertaking the preliminary review of 90 applications for solar and wind development, as well as 51 applications for wind and solar energy testing.

The Ten West Link Transmission Line is an infrastructure project covered under Title 41 of the FAST Act (FAST-41). For more information on the project, please visit the Bureau of Land Management’s website.

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