What is destined to be the nation's second-largest direct current transmission line is one of seven projects to receive fast-track status Wednesday from the Obama administration, which is looking to shore up the country's electrical grid and integrate renewable power. The TransWest Express Project involves a 725-mile, 600 kilovolt line that begins in Wyoming, crosses Utah and ends in Nevada near Las Vegas. It would deliver wind-generated power from Wyoming for customers in the southwest United States. The line, which will convey up to 3,000 megawatts of renewable power, includes two converter stations and follows 393 miles of already federally-designated utility corridors.
A draft environmental study commissioned by the Bureau of Land Management solicited written comments and input from people who attended nearly two dozen public meetings held in Utah, Wyoming and Nevada. The study is expected to be available for public comment by mid-2012. A final EIS would be done in 2013, followed by decision issued by the BLM in late 2013. Deseret News
