IID breaks ground on $55 million transmission-line project
Construction estimated to be completed about a year from now
IMPERIAL, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - The Imperial Irrigation District (IID) and its partners broke ground on 230 kV S-Line, one of the district's major transmission lines, Thursday.
IID spokesperson Antonio Ortega confirms upgrades to the 18-mile-long transmission network connecting the Imperial Valley and El Centro Substations include replacing 293 wood poles with 184 new steel poles.
“This transmission line is an important component for maintaining a stable and reliable power supply to IID customers and to the overall reliability of the Southern California energy grid,” said IID Board President Jim Hanks. “We are also pleased to be able to work with our partner Citizens Energy and others, on this critical project that also provides a pathway for the continued development of locally produced renewable energy.”
The IID Board of Directors explains they approved agreements enabling the project back in October 2020. Project funding was officially approved November 2021.
Citizens Energy Chief Executive Officer Peter Smith added, “We are proud to be working with IID on another energy infrastructure project with a social impact. We don’t pretend that our work together can solve all the challenges facing the struggling families of the Imperial Valley. But we don’t measure our impact by changing the whole world for the better — we just want to improve the odds for the people we help.”
Project Highlights:
- The existing transmission line (a single circuit with 293 wood poles) will be replaced with a new transmission line featuring 184 steel poles.
- Includes 18 miles of new fiber optic wire.
- As part of the process, some distribution facilities will be redesigned, relocated and modified.
- Estimated project cost: $55 million.
- Estimated completion date: Late 2022.
According to Ortega, Citizens Energy will fund a most of the project. It has also agreed to increase aid to low-income customers by giving one-half of its after-tax profits to fund customer programs and projects in IID’s service territory.
