Construction work has begun in the US State of Wyoming on the 3 GW, 500 kV TransWest Express transmission project, that will span four States. The 1,178 km transmission line will run between the states of Wyoming and Nevada, crossing Colorado and Utah. It will allow the delivery of electricity to Nevada, Arizona and California. The US Bureau of Land Management (Department of Interior) had approved the construction of the project in April 2023.
The transmission line will carry electricity generated by the over 3 GW Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project, which is located in Carbon County, Wyoming, and consists of 600 wind turbines. The transmission project will include three linked segments: a 652 km, 3,000 MW, 500 kV high-voltage direct current (HVDC) line between Wyoming and Utah, a 447 km, 1,500 MW, 500 kV high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) line between Utah and Nevada, and a 79 km, 1,680 MW, 500 kV HVAC line in Nevada.
The project is part the US administration’s goal to modernize power infrastructure in the western United States and achieve a carbon-free electricity grid by 2035.