The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) board of governors has approved the organisation’s 2022-2023 Transmission Plan and a proposal that aims to connect up to 40GW of renewable energy projects to the grid.
This year’s transmission plan identifies 45 projects for system expansion and upgrades.
They include 17GW of solar generation distributed across the state and over 3.5GW of in-state wind generation in existing wind development regions, including Tehachapi.
There will also be over 1GW of geothermal development, primarily in California’s Imperial Valley and in southern Nevada and access for battery storage projects co-located across the state with renewable generation projects, as well as stand-alone storage located closer to major load centres in the LA Basin, greater Bay Area, and San Diego.
CASSIO also plans to import over 4.5GW of out-of-state wind generation from Idaho, Wyoming and New Mexico by enhancing corridors from the ISO border in south-eastern Nevada and from western Arizona into California load centres.
CAISO president and chief executive Elliot Mainzer said: “This 2022-2023 transmission plan represents the next major installment of infrastructure investment required to meet California’s long-term clean energy goals.
“In close coordination with regulatory agencies, load-serving entities and other key stakeholders, we endeavored to address the state’s reliability and policy needs in the most cost-effective and efficient way possible.”