Nevada Power Co. and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power are jointly pursuing a transmission link to foster seasonal power exchanges among electric utilities in the West.
The $121 million transmission line project would help participating utilities transfer power to the north when cold winter weather drives up electricity demand. Conversely, the system could send electricity to the south during hot summer months, thereby meeting increased power consumption caused by air conditioners.
Nevada Power and the Los Angeles utility plan to build two side-by-side overhead power lines, running about 53 miles, from an existing substation northeast of Las Vegas to a new station south of Los Angeles. The so-called electricity bridge would help transfer power among utilities in several Western states.
The transmission link must meet the usual regulatory requirements for such projects, and also needs approval from the U.S. Congress to run through the Sunrise Mountain federal wilderness study area in southern Nevada.
