Transmission Systems

Transmission Lines
Getting power from generating facilities to the public is a challenge.
With 37 million people spread among almost 500 incorporated cities and thousands of rural residences spread throughout California's 58 counties, getting power from generating facilities to the public is an incredible challenge in a state covering more than 100 million acres.  BLM, responsible for 15.2 million acres, works very closely with the California Energy Commission (CEC) and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to meet that challenge.

BLM already oversees some 8,040 rights-of-way across these public lands, but the growth of renewable energy and increased electricity production from all sources requires more efficient use of existing energy corridors and designation of new corridors to ease congestion.

BLM is currently working with the Department of Energy and other federal agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, the Department of Defense, and the National Park Service, to prepare a Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (DPEIS) to designate energy corridors on federal lands in 11 Western states, including California.

The State of California is a cooperating agency in this important project and CEC was designated as its lead agency.  An interagency workgroup  has been formed to coordinate and develop a statewide response and review.  This workgroup has met with the California State Association of Counties, the League of California Cities, and other public and nongovernmental groups about the purpose of the project to ensure all points of view are considered.