US approves major transportation project in Nevada by Reuters

(Reuters) – The Biden administration said on Monday it had approved a major transmission line in Nevada that would run hundreds of miles along the state’s border with California and could provide power to about 5 million homes.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT

The milestone is the latest effort by the administration to speed approval of major clean energy projects as part of its climate change and jobs agendas.

President Joe Biden aims to decarbonize the US electricity grid by 2035, a feat that will require massive investment in new transportation to carry clean wind and solar power to population centers.

BY NUMBERS

Public utility NV Energy’s Greenlink West Transmission project will run 472 miles from North Las Vegas to Reno, according to U.S. Bureau of Land Management documents.

Once built, the line could transmit up to 4 gigawatts of electricity, enough to power about 5 million homes.

NV Energy 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.

The 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. It will be the largest solar and battery storage project in Nevada once it is built.

CONTEXT

Nevada is a key battleground state in the November 5 US presidential election between Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and former Republican President Donald Trump.

KEY QUOTE

“In Nevada and across the country, our leaps forward to effectively enable wind, solar, transportation and other clean energy projects are part of a larger strategy to lead the world in the global clean energy race and fight against pollution – all while protecting us. communities and investing in local economies,” Ali Zaidi, the White House’s national climate adviser, said in a statement.