- Denied
- Arizona rejected the 500 kV line in 2007
- No benefit
- The host region got little from a line built to serve California
- Stuck
- A federal attempt to override the denial failed
A line for someone else's benefit — denied
Devers–Palo Verde No. 2 was Edison's proposed ~230-mile, 500 kV line from the Palo Verde area near Phoenix to its Devers substation near Palm Springs, built to import about 1,200 MW of cheaper power into California. In June 2007, the Arizona Corporation Commission denied the Arizona portion. [1]
One commissioner called it “a 230-mile extension cord into Arizona,” and the Commission concluded the line would burden Arizona — its ratepayers, land, air, and water — to deliver power to California. The host would get the towers; California would get the power. [1]
A state “no” holds up
Edison tried to get federal regulators to override the state denial. A federal appeals court shut that down, ruling that when a state affirmatively denies a transmission permit, FERC cannot override it. Edison abandoned the Arizona line and built only a shorter, California-only portion. [1]
Two lessons carry to Temecula. First, “this line gives the host no benefit” is an argument that has actually defeated a 500 kV line. Second, a state denial sticks — a CPUC “no” on this project would be very hard for SDG&E to route around. (Note: this denial was by Arizona's regulator, not the CPUC, and California's portion was approved.) [1]
Sources
- [1]Devers–Palo Verde No. 2 (DPV2) — Arizona denied the 500 kV line as a California 'power grab' (2007) — Natural Gas Intelligence / Wikipedia (Path 46) / 4th Circuit