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
• Cost: < $300 Million
• Developers: LS Power; Western Area Power Administration; Wyoming Infrastructure Authority
• 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 Open Access Transmission Tariff
  • 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 Links: www.wyia.org/wci and www.WCIntertie.com

• New 500kV transmission line from Wyoming to central Utah, then a new 500 kV line from central Utah through southwestern Utah into Nevada
• Capacity: Up to 3,000MW
• 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: 2014-2017
• 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
• Status:
  • Agency scoping in process (BLM meetings complete, USFS meetings are pending)
  • 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
• 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/Article/Article79554.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: 2014-2016
• 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:
  • Feasibility studies/Power Flow analyses continuing
  • Project has been entered into the WECC, NTTG regional planning group
  • Third party contractor to BLM has been hired
  • Study group meetings started May 2009
• 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/Article/Article79554.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: ~800 miles
• In-service date: 2014
• Cost: ~$2.7 billion
• Developers: Transwest Express LLC, an affiliate of The Anschutz Corporation, which acquired the TWE Project in 2008 and has been accelerating development efforts.
• WECC Path Rating Process: Phase I
• ROW and Permitting Status: BLM is lead NEPA agency. Public scoping planned for 3rd quarter 2009.
• Status:
  • Initial feasibility studies completed.
  • Stakeholder meetings have been held in Utah, Wyoming, Arizona and Nevada.
  • Project has been entered into the WECC, NTTG regional planning group.
• Business Model: Focused on permitting, business model to be determined.
• Complementary Projects: PacifiCorp’s Energy Gateway Project.
• Contact Information: David Smith at David.Smith@tac-denver.com or 303-299-1000
• Link: http://www.transwestexpress.net

With eleven (11) 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: 2017
• Cost: >$5 Billion
• Developers: Trans-Elect Development Company; 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); 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
  • 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: Robert Kondziolka at Robert.kondziolka@srpnet.com or 602-236-0971
  Link: http://www.rmao.com/wtpp/HPX_Studies.html