Economic Development
Power Project Benefits Nevada
August 30, 2010
A new high voltage electric transmission line that will improve the reliability and operating efficiency of Nevada’s electric system and boost renewable energy development is a step closer to fruition.
NV Energy, Inc. and Great Basin Transmission, LLC, an affiliate of LS Power, announced that they’ve signed an agreement to jointly construct and own a 500-kilovolt transmission line that will electrically connect northern and southern Nevada for the first time. Construction of the project, the One Nevada Transmission Line, or ON Line, is expected to begin later this year and it should be completed by the end of 2012. The project could create up to 400 jobs and generate millions of dollars in tax payments for Nevada counties and schools.
The transmission line will improve Nevada’s electric system by providing a path for power exchanges between the state’s two largest electric systems, resulting in long-term cost savings for customers. In addition, the line will give Nevada’s largest cities greater access to isolated renewable energy resources in northern and eastern Nevada. Development of these resources is important for Nevada’s energy future and for economic development.
The power line will extend for approximately 235 miles from the Ely area to an electrical substation north of Las Vegas. The project has been approved for construction by the Bureau of Land Management.
