(Reuters) – The Biden administration said on Monday it had approved a major transmission line in Nevada that will run hundreds of miles along the state’s border with California and could power about 5 million homes.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
The milestone is the government’s latest attempt to accelerate the approval of major clean energy projects as part of its climate change and jobs agenda.
President Joe Biden aims to decarbonize the U.S. power grid by 2035, a feat that will require massive investments in new transmission to bring clean wind and solar energy to population centers.
BY THE NUMBERS
According to U.S. Bureau of Land Management documents, public utility NV Energy’s Greenlink West Transmission project will stretch 472 miles from North Las Vegas to Reno.
Once built, the line could transport up to 4 gigawatts of electricity, enough to power about 5 million homes.
NV Energy has said its Greenlink project, which includes Greenlink West and the smaller Greenlink North, will cost about $4.24 billion.
Greenlink North is in the early stages of the federal permitting process.
BLM also said it has approved the 700-megawatt Libra Solar project in Mineral County, Nevada, which could provide enough power for 212,000 homes. Once built, it will be the largest solar and battery storage project in Nevada.
CONTEXT
Nevada is a key battleground in the November 5 US presidential election between Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump.
IMPORTANT QUOTE
“In Nevada and across the country, our leaps forward to efficiently enable wind, solar, transmission and other clean energy projects are part of a broader strategy to lead the world in the global clean energy race and fight pollution – all while supporting our communities and investing in local economies,” White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi said in a statement.
