Harness Winds of Change; New Lines Planned to Carry Clean Power

Harness Winds of Change; New Lines Planned to Carry Clean Power

Dec 08 - Daily News; Los Angeles, Calif.

Southern California Edison is proposing to run new 500,000-volt lines between west Lancaster, Valencia, Acton and Tehachapi to serve a huge expansion of Antelope Valley wind-energy farms.

Expected to cost $190 million to $250 million, the new lines would replace a lower-power line leading northeast from Santa Clarita, add to an existing power-line corridor from west Lancaster to Acton, and create a new power-line right-of-way north from Lancaster between 100th and 110th streets west.

"We are trying to minimize the impact by either building it within existing lines or by replacing existing lines," said Charles Adamson, Southern California Edison's project manager.

With a post-energy crisis state law ordering utilities to get 20 percent of their electricity from "renewable" sources by 2017, state officials say the Tehachapi-Mojave area has the potential to grow from 600 megawatts of wind power to as much as 4,500, with another 400 megawatts in Los Angeles County.

The proposed new lines could carry 1,100 megawatts - enough for about 500,000 to 1 million homes, though the variability of the wind means the turbines would usually be producing far less than the peak output.

In July, the state Independent System Operator board told Southern California Edison to proceed with the design and environmental studies, though both Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric have objected to being required to finance power lines serving other companies' wind projects.

The utilities want the wind energy companies to pay for lines, saying it would be a waste of utility customers' money for utilities to pay for a line to a proposed wind farm that ends up losing out on production contracts.

The 25.6-mile line from east of Interstate 5 near Magic Mountain amusement park in Valencia to a substation west of Lancaster would draw power first from an entirely new wind farm proposed in the foothills south of the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve.

A later extension would run high-power lines 26.1 miles to a new substation west of Mojave and then a further 9.4 miles to east of Tehachapi, serving the area of existing wind farms and potential new wind farms in East Kern County.

A third leg will run 17.8 miles from the west Lancaster substation to near Acton at the Vincent substation, a prime component of the state power grid.

Edison expects to file its proposal for the power lines this week with the California Public Utilities Commission. Environmental studies, public hearings and other procedures could take 12 to 18 months, with construction taking another 12 to 18 months.

Notices about the lines are being mailed out to property owners within 300 feet of the proposed rights-of-way.

Much of the Valencia-West Lancaster line runs through Angeles National Forest, which will require Forest Service approval for adding 80 feet to the existing 100-foot-wide right-of-way.

The Valencia-West Lancaster line would probably be built starting in 2006, or as soon as Edison gets permission from state regulators, because it is needed to serve the planned west Antelope Valley wind farm, which is envisioned as providing 200 megawatts through about 110 to 130 turbines.

The other two lines would be built as other new wind farms are developed, officials said.

Edison officials said they are getting close already to obtaining the required 20 percent of electricity from renewable sources.

"Renewables" provided 19 percent of Edison's electricity in 2003, the company said. Eleven percent came from geothermal plants using underground heat in places like China Lake and Mammoth Lake, 4 percent from wind, and the rest from solar plants, small hydroelectric plants and waste conversion plants.

Large hydroelectric plants provided another 9 percent, but they aren't considered "renewable energy" under state law.

Natural gas plants provided 26 percent of energy, nuclear power 27 percent and out-of-state coal plants 19 percent in 2003, Edison said.

Charles F. Bostwick, (661) 267-5742

chuck.bostwick(at)dailynews.com

AT A GLANCE:

--WHAT - New 500,000-volt power lines between Valencia, west Lancaster, Acton and Tehachapi.

--WHY - To serve new and expanded wind-turbine farms in the Tehachapi Mountains and western Antelope Valley.

--WHEN - Construction could start in 2006 on the first segment.

--MORE INFORMATION: In Santa Clarita, call Ernie Vallegas of Southern California Edison's Valencia Service Center at (661) 257- 8239. In the Antelope Valley, call Alis Clausen of Edison's Lancaster Service Center at (661) 726-5608.

For far more extensive news on the energy/power visit: http://www.energycentral.com .