Jun 21st 2023 | Posted in Energy by Government Contracting Pipeline

California — The Board of Governors for the California Independent System Operation (CAISO) recently approved a strategy to build thousands of miles of high-voltage transmission lines. The $7.3 billion Grid Modernization Plan works toward decarbonizing energy consumption and providing enough transmission to connect clean energy sources to the grid.

California set a goal to have a carbon-free energy sector by 2045. Earlier this year, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) set clean energy targets that will lead to more than doubling the state’s existing capacity by 2035.

CAISO estimates an 8- to10-year lead time for the investments in the $7.3 billion plan. Three transmission projects in the plan will be open to competitive bidding from independent developers.

The new plan also targets some long-standing challenges for California’s grid, including the loss of grid capacity after the 2013 closure of the San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant. The three projects CAISO plans to put out for competitive bids are aimed at closing that gap.