The two transmission lines were “developed in consultation with several states [and] will distribute up to 4,500 megawatts of renewable power across the Mountain West, Desert Southwest and California,” the Interior Department release said.
Under a memorandum of understanding Jewell signed with California Governor Jerry Brown, the federal agency and the most-populous US state will work to help develop renewable-energy projects in a timely manner, the release said.
“These initiatives will generate thousands of construction and operations jobs, cut carbon emissions by millions of tons, and help Western states meet their renewable-energy goals,” Jewell said.
The agreement with California sets goals for developing renewable energy onshore and offshore, the release explained. It added that a high priority was put on projects in areas where the environmental impact of development will be limited and existing transmission systems can be used.
