The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) has approved a US$7.3bn power transmission plan for 45 new power transmission projects across the US states of California and Arizona, which will support the development of 40 GW of new renewable and battery storage capacity. The projects are expected to be developed over the next decade.
The approved transmission plan will enable the integration into the US grid of over 17 GW of solar and 8 GW of wind, of which 4.5 GW will be imported from the states of Idaho, Wyoming and New Mexico, as well as 1 GW of geothermal and some battery energy storage capacity. Most of the transmission projects will be built in California, with some in neighbouring Arizona.
CAISO projects that next year’s transmission plan could include the addition of 70 GW of new power to the grid by 2033, rising to 120 GW as California seeks to meet its target of reaching a carbon-free power system by 2045.