$1.9 Billion Power Line Opens Renewables for San Diego

The Sunrise Powerlink transmission line under construction in California.
Credit: San Diego Gas & Electric

The $1.9 billion Sunrise Powerlink, a 500,000-volt transmission line linking San Diego to the Imperial Valley, is now in service after a five-year permitting process and 18 months of construction. San Diego Gas & Electric announced on June 18 that the line will connect San Diego with one of the most renewable-rich regions in California. For environmental reasons, nearly 75% of the tower locations required helicopters to set the tower structures and it took more than 28,000 flight hours to complete the aerial construction.

The Sunrise Powerlink will soon deliver a significant amount of wind and solar power to San Diego. Over the past three years, San Diego Gas & Electric signed eight renewable agreements for more than 1,000 megawatts of solar and wind power from projects in Imperial County. In 2011, more than 20% of the utility's power came from renewable energy, and by 2020, it will get 33% from renewable resources. See the San Diego Gas & Electric press release.

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