- 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 ~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.” The Commission found 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. So Arizona said no. [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 straight to Temecula, and both should give us heart. First, “this line gives the host no benefit” is not a slogan — it is an argument that has actually defeated a 500 kV line. Second, a state denial holds: a CPUC “no” on this project would be very hard for SDG&E to route around. (Note: this denial came from 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