Wyoming Infrastructure Authority

The WCI Project addresses a long-standing transmission constraint along the Wyoming-Colorado border known as TOT 3. The 345 kV line originates at the Laramie River Station near Wheatland and terminates at PSCO’s Pawnee sub-station in northeastern Colorado. The latest status is as follows:

• New 345 kV AC transmission line between Wyoming and the Front Range of Colorado delivering Wyoming generation in Wyoming to Colorado
• Capacity: 850 MW
• Length: 180 miles
• In-service Date: 2014-2015
• Cost: < $300 Million
• Developers: LS Power; Western Area Power Administration; Wyoming Infrastructure Authority
• On July 14, 2011, an application was received for 100% of the capacity.  The application triggered a 30 day period to allow 3rd parties to make application under the terms of the Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT).
• WECC Path Rating Process: Phase I complete; currently in Phase II
• ROW & Permitting Status: Will proceed after the awarding of capacity
• Status:
  • FERC approval to sell transmission rights at negotiated rates
  • FERC approved OATT
  • Project has been entered into the WECC, CCPG regional planning group 
• Business Model: independent model, end market(s): LSE’s in Colorado
• Complementary Projects: PSCO’s expansion of their system in N/E Colorado and the High Plains Express
• Contact Information:  Adam Gassaway at agassaway@lspower.com or 636-532-2200
• Project Link:   www.WCIntertie.com

• New single-circuit 500kV transmission line from Wyoming to central Utah Capacity: Up to 1,500MW
• Length: Part of approximately 2,000 miles of new high voltage transmission lines PacifiCorp plans to build to address long-term native-load and third party needs in its six-state service territory (WY, UT, ID, OR, WA & CA)
• Estimated in-service date: 2017-2019
• Cost: Part of >$6.1 billion total Energy Gateway estimated project cost
• Developers: PacifiCorp is leading the development
• WECC Path Rating Process: Phase II
• ROW & Permitting Status: Formal right-of-way application has been filed with the BLM in 2007; 3rd party contractor for NEPA compliance has been retained; Draft EIS expected in 2013. 
• Status:
  • BLM Agency scoping scheduled for first quarter 2011
  • Feasibility studies have been completed
  • Stakeholder meetings have been held in Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, and Nevada
  • Project has been entered into the WECC, NTTG and SWAT regional planning groups
  • Study group meetings started May 2009
  • Scoping Meetings Complete in 2011
• Business Model: Utility rate base model, end market(s): to address PacifiCorp’s native-load needs and third party transmission service requests
• For more information, please call (801) 220-4221, or e-mail ConstructionProjects@pacificorp.com
• Link: http://www.pacificorp.com/tran/tp/eg/gs.html

• New 500 kV transmission lines between Wyoming and Idaho, and two new single-circuit 230 kV transmission lines in Wyoming
• Capacity: Up to 3,000 MW to Wyoming and Idaho
• Length: Part of approximately 2,000 miles of new high voltage transmission lines PacifiCorp plans to build to address long-term native-load and third party needs in its six-state service territory (WY, UT, ID, OR, WA, CA)
• Estimated in-service Date: 2016-2018
• Cost: Part of >$6.1 billion total Energy Gateway estimated project cost
• Developers: PacifiCorp and Idaho Power
• WECC Path Rating Process: Phase II
• ROW & Permitting Status: Formal application was filed with the BLM in 2007
• Status:
  • Scoping Meetings completed
  • Draft EIS published on July 28, 2011
  • BLM scheduled to publish the draft Environmental Impact Statement December 2010
  • BLM Record of Decision scheduled for November 2012
  • Local and state permitting to occur during 2011-2012
• Business Model: Utilities rate-base, end market(s): to address PacifiCorp’s and Idaho Power’s native-load and third party needs
• For more information, please call (801) 220-4221, or e-mail ConstructionProjects@pacificorp.com
• Link: http://www.pacificorp.com/tran/tp/eg/gw.html

The TWE Project is designed to reliably and cost-effectively deliver renewable energy produced in Wyoming to meet the growing renewable energy needs of Arizona, Nevada and Southern California. It offers one of the shortest, most economic routes between Wyoming’s wind energy resources and the Desert Southwest market. The latest update is as follows:

• New 600 kV DC line extending from south-central Wyoming through northwestern Colorado and central Utah, ending near Las Vegas.
•  Capacity: 3,000 MW
•  Length: Proposed route of 725 miles
•  In-service date: 2015
• Cost: ~$3.0 billion
• Developers: Transwest Express LLC, an affiliate of The Anschutz Corporation, which acquired the TWE Project in   2008. In 2010, Western Area Power Administration entered into an agreement with TWE to potentially acquire a 50 percent equity stake in the TWE Project.
•  WECC Path Rating Process: Phase 2
•  ROW and Permitting Status: BLM and Western Area Power Administration are joint lead agencies for NEPA compliance.
•  Status:
  o Preliminary engineering design under way.
  o Agency scoping completed.
  o Public scoping dates from fall 2010 to early 2011.
•  Business Model: Focused on development activities, including permitting. Business model to be determined. Western Area Power Administration’s portion of project to be funded through its Transmission Infrastructure Program.
•  Complementary Projects: PacifiCorp’s Energy Gateway Projects.
•  Contact Information: David Smith at David.Smith@tac-denver.com or 303-299-1000
•  Link: http://www.transwestexpress.net

It’s Time
Watch this brief overview video about TWE’s transmission line project and the wind power project proposed by Power Company of Wyoming LLC, a separate affiliate of The Anschutz Corporation: http://www.transwestexpress.net/videos/index.shtml

With twelve (12) developers participating in this project which is being designed as a double-circuit 500 kV AC line, carrying 3,500 MW from Wyoming to Arizona with on-ramps and off-ramps in Colorado and New Mexico. The latest status is as follows:

• New 500 kV AC (double-circuit) transmission lines between Wyoming and Arizona with on-ramps and off-ramps in Colorado and New Mexico
• Capacity: 3,500 MW
• Length: 1,280 miles
• In-service Date: 2019
• Cost: >$5 Billion
• Developers:LS Power; Western Area Power Administration; Tri-State G&T; Colorado Springs Utilities; Black Hills Corporation; Public Service Company of New Mexico, Salt River Project; Xcel Energy (Public Service Co of CO); NextEra Energy Resources; New Mexico Renewable Energy Transmission Authority; Colorado Clean Energy Development Authority; and Wyoming Infrastructure Authority
• Initiated WECC Regional Planning Process in April 2009
• ROW & Permitting Status: Developers have funded four study committees
  • Technical Study
  • Commercial Study
  • Routing/Permitting Study
  • Communications Study
• Status:
  • Feasibility study completed; Stage 3 MOU executed
  • Executive committee has been formed to further the oversight of the development process
  • Project has been introduced into the WECC, CCPG, SWAT and WestConnect regional planning groups
• Business Model: Yet to be defined, could be a combination of utility rate-base, merchant and anchor tenant models, end market(s): LSE’s in Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona
• Contact Information: Jim Pratt Jim.Pratt@srpnet.com or 602-236-5385
• Link: http://www.rmao.com/wtpp/HPX_Studies.html