November 23, 2009

The California PUC (CPUC) during its meeting Friday approved Southern California Edison's petition to change its application for the Devers Palo Verse 2 transmission line.  The 128 mile, 500 kv line will connect SCE's Devers Substation near Palm Springs to its proposed Midpoint switchyard near Blythe, Calif.  The firm also will build a 42 mile, 500 kv line between Devers and its Valley Substation in Riverside County.

          The line will allow the transfer of an added 1,200 mw of power from Blythe in Riverside County to consumers in Southern California.  The line will also cut congestion within a nationally designated, critical power corridor, said the PUC.

          "This favorable decision from the CPUC is an important step in SCE's ongoing efforts to strengthen the transmission grid in California," said Vice President for Local Public Affairs Lee Starck.  "DPV2 and other transmission projects on which are working are needed to strengthen service reliability and improve the grid's ability to transmit electricity from new generating sources such as planned renewable energy projects."

          The line will help bring in solar power and traditional generation to market in Southern California from rich areas in state's southeastern deserts.

          Originally SCE wanted to push the line into Arizona, but the Corporation Commission denied its application for that portion of the project.

          The firm then started an initial phase of the review process at FERC for backstop siting authority, but Arizona went to court and the provision from the Energy Policy Act of 2005 now doesn't apply to states that refuse an application for a line.