NEW TRANSMISSION FOR NEW ENERGY

Major Renewable Energy Transmission Project Secures Development Funding
15 September 2011 (North American Windpower)

"The Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) and TransWest Express LLC…[will] fund the TransWest Express Transmission (TWE) Project's development phase.

"The TWE project's development phase will determine the feasibility of constructing and operating a 725-mile, 600 kV direct-current transmission line that would facilitate renewable energy delivery from Wyoming to the southwestern U.S. The project would interconnect with the existing transmission grid near Rawlins, Wyo., and the Marketplace Hub, near Las Vegas…"

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?TWE and WAPA will each pay up to $25 million to complete the development phase. If WAPA continues its participation in the project into the construction phase - a decision that will be made when the environmental analysis is complete - additional borrowing authority would be used…

"…The draft environmental impact statement is expected to be available for public comment in mid-2012, with a final environmental impact statement planned by 2013, and a record of decision expected by late 2013. Commercial operation would begin in late 2015 or early 2016."