Energy Company Alliance Proposes Ambitious Wind Energy Solution for Southern California

September 30th, 2014 by Fiedler Group

One of the most ambitious energy infrastructure projects has been proposed by a collective of four companies — Pathfinder Renewable Wind Energy, Magnum Energy, Dresser-Rand, and Duke-American Transmission Co.

As reported by Michael R. Blood and Mead Gruver of the Associated Press, the estimated $8-billion project is designed to send wind power from Wyoming to over one-million Southern California residents, by way of a huge energy storage site in the Utah caverns.

Proposed on the same day President Obama encouraged world leaders to take the United States’ lead on climate change and reducing heat-trapping pollution, the venture (with its expected completion date of 2023) could possibly generate twice as much energy as the 1930s era Hoover Dam — which spans the Colorado River, providing energy to California, Arizona, and Nevada.

As companies and government officials continue to seek cleaner energy alternatives to coal, wind development in Wyoming has powered-up quickly, with a 1,000 turbine site already planned by The Anschutz Corp. in south-central Wyoming.

Cornerstone to this new plan is the $1.5-billion energy storage site located 130 miles southwest of Salt Lake City in Utah — which is already home to a coal-powered plant that provides Los Angeles County with electricity.

According to the alliance’s proposal, the energy would be stored through a compressed air system using Utah’s caverns.

While California energy officials weren’t aware of this new proposal (though they have been seeking proposals to provide Los Angeles with renewal power options), the alliance indicated they would submit the energy blueprint to the Southern California Public Power Authority in early 2015.