The new power line will connect the nation’s largest onshore wind project to southwestern states.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) approved the TransWest Express transmission line, a power line that will move power from Wyoming to Arizona, Nevada, and California. The three gigawatts the line is capable of moving can power roughly 20 million homes, writes Gabriela Aoun Angueira in Grist.
According to Aoun Angueira, “The 18-year wait for this transmission line is a reminder of how complicated permitting processes can slow the country’s transition to clean energy.” Large projects like this are complicated by a lack of deadlines in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the fact that “transmission lines often cross multiple states, inviting opportunities for opposition and bureaucracy from multiple jurisdictions.”
As the article explains, “The TransWest Express could be particularly impactful for California, which has a goal of achieving 100 percent clean energy by 2045. To meet that goal, the state would need to retire fossil fuel sources like natural gas and coal plants while simultaneously accounting for increased power demand from sources like electric vehicles.”
See the source article for more information on the project and its proposed timeline.
FULL STORY: Massive transmission line will send wind power from Wyoming to California
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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