View source for Path 46

{{Short description|Set of high-voltage transmission lines traversing the U.S. states of California and Nevada}}
{{update|date=January 2025}}
'''Path 46''', also called '''West of Colorado River''', '''Arizona-California West-of-the-River Path''' ('''WOR'''), is a set of fourteen [[high voltage]] (500 kV & 230 kV) alternating-current [[Electric power transmission|transmission lines]] that are located in southeast [[California]] and [[Nevada]] up to the [[Colorado River]].<ref name="Google"/><ref name=Energy_Nevada_gov >{{ cite web | url=http://energy.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/energynvgov/content/NEAC_FinalRpt-Section4-StrategicTransmissionDiscussion.pdf | title=SECTION 4: NEAC STRATEGIC TRANSMISSION DISCUSSION | last= | first= | date= | access-date=2020-09-10 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141222201515/http://energy.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/energynvgov/content/NEAC_FinalRpt-Section4-StrategicTransmissionDiscussion.pdf | archive-date=2014-12-22 | url-status=live | quote=[page 4-6, & 4-9] Path 46: West of Colorado River (WOR) Location: Southern Nevada and Arizona/ Southern California Definition: Sum of the flows on: Fourteen various 500 kV & 230 kV Lines Export Transfer Limit: 10,623 MW Export out of Nevada & Arizona into Southern California Import Transfer Limit: Not Rated }}</ref>

This power transmission system has a capacity of 10.6 [[gigawatts]] from east to west, and sends electric power to [[Southern California]]'s massive population centers of [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] and [[San Diego, California|San Diego]] from many different sources, including [[hydroelectric dams]] ([[Hoover Dam]] on the Colorado River),  [[nuclear power|nuclear plants]] ([[Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station|Palo Verde Nuclear Plant]], near [[Phoenix, Arizona]]), and more recently, utility-scale solar plants ([[Ivanpah Solar Power Facility]]){{ r | Energy_Nevada_gov }}<ref name="WECC1">{{Cite journal|title=Paths 41-50|publisher=Western Electricity Coordinating Council|journal=WECC Map of Principal Transmission Lines|year=2006}}</ref>

==Individual power lines of Path 46==
'''Supporting system''' (230 [[volt|kV]] only):
* El Centro – Imperial Valley 230 kV
* Ramon – Mirage 230 kV
* Coachella – Mirage 230 kV

'''Southern System''' (500 kV only):
* North Gila – Imperial Valley 500 kV
* Palo Verde – Devers 500 kV No.1

'''Northern System''':
* Marketplace – Adelanto 500 kV – formerly called Path 64, it is part of Path 46.<ref name="WECC">{{Cite journal|title=Paths 61-70|publisher=Western Electricity Coordinating Council|journal=WECC Map of Principal Transmission Lines|year=2006}}</ref><ref name="WECC3">{{Citation|title=Paths 41-50|publisher=Western Electricity Coordinating Council|journal=WECC Map of Principal Transmission Lines|year=2006}}</ref>
* Eldorado – Lugo 500 kV
* Eldorado – Lugo 230 kV lines 1 & 2
* Mohave – Lugo 500 kV
* Julian Hinds – Mirage 230 kV
* McCullough – Victorville 500 kV lines 1 & 2
* Hoover – Victorville 287 kV

Although the Intermountain [[High-voltage direct current|HVDC]] line follows the route of the northern system (specifically, the Hoover – Victorville and McCullough – Victorville lines) the DC line is not considered part of Path 46. Instead, the line is a distinct path: [[Path 27]].<ref name="WECC2"/>

==Route of the 500 kV lines==

===North Gila – Imperial Valley (SDG&E)===
This power line, maintained by [[San Diego Gas & Electric]] (SDG&E), begins at the [[Imperial Valley (California)|Imperial Valley]] [[Electrical substation|substation]] located northwest of [[Calexico, CA|Calexico]] between the [[United States-Mexico border]] to the south and [[Interstate 8#San Diego to Arizona border|Interstate 8]] to the north. The same substation is also the northern end of [[Path 45]], an international power transmission corridor linking the [[Western Interconnection|Western US power grid]] to Baja California, Mexico's power grid.<ref name="WECC1"/> Leaving the substation, the line travels parallel at a distance to the south of Interstate 8 as both head east through Imperial Valley. Just past the [[California State Route 98|Hwy 98]] interchange with Interstate 8 southeast of [[El Centro, California|El Centro]], the line then runs adjacent to Interstate 8, as infrastructure bunches up to cross the shifting sand dunes. For the next 10 miles (16&nbsp;km), the line is squeezed tightly between Interstate 8 and the US-Mexico border until both turn northeast. As Interstate 8 crosses over the [[All-American Canal]], the line spans over and departs the freeway, continuing to the northeast. The line reaches the foothills north of [[Yuma, Arizona|Yuma]] and turns east. Abruptly, after crossing the [[Colorado River]], the power line turns south and heads into the North Gila substation. Another 500kv line, Palo Verde – North Gila, connects the North Gila substation to the [[Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station]]. The section of line east of the Colorado River is referred to as [[Path 49]].<ref name="Google">Route descriptions are based on [[Google Earth]] images.</ref><ref name="WECC2">{{Cite journal|title=Paths 21-30|publisher=Western Electricity Coordinating Council|journal=WECC Map of Principal Transmission Lines|year=2006}}</ref><ref name="Energy">{{cite web|title=California's Major Electric Transmission Lines|url=http://www.energy.ca.gov/maps/infrastructure/transmission_lines.html|publisher=California Energy Commission|access-date=2015-08-17|date=2015-05-04|archive-date=2015-09-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905071152/http://www.energy.ca.gov/maps/infrastructure/transmission_lines.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Devers – Palo Verde No. 1 (SCE)===
Also called DPV1, this power line is owned and maintained by [[Southern California Edison]] (SCE).<ref name="CPUC">{{cite web|title=Southern California Edison's Devers–Palo Verde No. 2 Transmission Line Project|url=http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/Environment/info/aspen/dpv2/dpv2.htm|access-date=2007-11-16|publisher=California Public Utilities Commission}}</ref> Starting from the Devers substation northeast of the [[San Gorgonio Pass]] and north of  [[Interstate 10 in California#Riverside County|Interstate 10]], the line runs north of and roughly parallel to Interstate 10 as both head southeast and pass by [[Palm Springs, California|Palm Springs]]. After dropping in elevation to near sea level in the [[Coachella Valley]] near [[Indio, California|Indio]], both the line and Interstate 10 climb about 1600-ft out of the [[Coachella Valley]] and into Shavers Valley.  Upon entering Shavers Valley, the line crosses over I-10 east of the Cactus City exit and continues to the south parallel with the freeway as both continue easterly across the [[Colorado Desert]] region of the [[Sonoran Desert]].  Both pass [[Chiriaco Summit, California|Chiriaco Summit]] and [[Desert Center, California|Desert Center]] with the line never more than 1.5 miles south of the freeway. About 5 miles after passing the [[Chuckawalla Valley State Prison]], the line leaves the freeway and turns south-east for a few miles before turning east in the [[Palo Verde Valley]] and crossing the [[Colorado River]] south of [[Blythe, California|Blythe]].  Like the North Gila – Imperial Valley line, the section of this power line east of the Colorado River is also referred to as Path 49. The power line eventually terminates at the Hassayampa switch yard substation adjacent to the [[Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station]] along with the North Gila – Imperial Valley line mentioned above.<ref name="Google"/><ref name="Energy"/>

A second 500-kV transmission line to be called Devers – Palo Verde No. 2 (DPV2) is planned to run parallel to the existing Devers – Palo Verde line.

===Mohave – Lugo (SCE)===
Starting from the Lugo substation in [[Hesperia, California|Hesperia]], this 500 kV power line heads generally northeast along with the El Dorado – Lugo 500 kV line and two other 230 kV power lines. Both lines cross vast expanses of desert and mountains as they head towards Nevada. Just south of [[Interstate 40]], the Mohave – Lugo line splits from the Eldorado – Lugo line; the Mohave line turns and heads in a more easterly direction than the other power lines. The line roughly parallels Interstate 40 at a large distance up to the California border. The power line then heads northeast to the [[Mohave Power Station]] at [[Laughlin, Nevada|Laughlin]], [[Nevada]]. The line terminates there along with another SCE 500 kV line from Eldorado substation.<ref name="Google"/><ref name="Energy"/>

===Eldorado – Lugo (SCE)===
The Eldorado – Lugo 500 kV line follows the same exact path as the Mohave – Lugo 500 kV until south of Interstate 40. The line then continues northeast through the [[Mojave Desert]] along with other 230 kV power lines. Although the power lines generally parallel Interstate 15 through the Mojave Desert, they do so at a very large distance and are completely out of sight. As the set of power lines leaves California and enters Nevada, they rises to an elevation of {{convert|5000|ft}} before turning to head north-northeast and descending into [[Eldorado Valley]]. The 500 kV power line then joins two other SCE 500 kV powerlines, one from the Mohave Power Station in Laughlin, and the other an SCE-built extension of [[Path 49]] from Moenkopi Substation in central [[Arizona]]. All three lines terminate at the Eldorado substation, which is connected to the nearby McCullough and [[Marketplace substation]]s via [[Path 62]].<ref name="Google"/><ref name="Energy"/>

===McCullough – Victorville lines 1 and 2 (LADWP)===
Both McCullough – Victorville 500 kV power lines are maintained by [[Los Angeles Department of Water and Power]] (LADW&P) and leave the Victorville substation heading northeast along with the Hoover – Victorville 287 kV line. The [[Path 27|Intermountain 500 kV DC power line]] also joins the group of three power lines a short distance later. After crossing the Interstate 15 for the first time north of the Dale Evens Parkway interchange, the lines turn and head in a more easterly direction to avoid the [[Barstow, California|Barstow]] area. The lines then cross the Interstate 40 just east of [[Daggett, California|Daggett]] for their only time and then cross over Interstate 15 again. The set of four power lines generally parallels Interstate 15 at a distance to the north of the highway for the rest of the path in California. The Marketplace – Adelanto 500 kV power line joins the group of four power lines north of [[Newberry Springs]] for a short distance before it turns away eastward and follows Interstate 15 closely instead. After the lines pass [[Clark Mountain (California)|Clark Mountain]] to the north, they enter Nevada adjacent to [[Primm, Nevada|Primm]] and Interstate 15. At Primm the group of power lines, along with the Marketplace – Adelanto line which has come back, split and spread out across the desert, with lines spanning over each other. After crossing some mountains, the McCullough – Victorville and the Hoover – Victorville 287 kV lines reunite and terminate at the McCullough substation, while several other lines bypass the substation and terminate in other locations, such as the Intermountain line.<ref name="Google"/><ref name="Energy"/>

===Marketplace – Adelanto (LADWP)===

The Marketplace – Adelanto line (formerly '''path 64''') originates at the Adelanto substation (where two 500 kV lines from the [[San Fernando Valley]] and another from [[Victorville, California|Victorville]] terminate) west of the Victorville substation in the [[High Desert (California)|High Desert]].<ref name="GEImage">Route descriptions and tower designs are based on Google Earth images.</ref><ref name="SCPPA">{{Cite web|title=SCPPA Mead-Adelanto Transmission Project|url=http://www.scppa.org/meadadelanto.htm|accessdate=2007-12-10|publisher=[[Southern California Public Power Authority]] |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20071214222227/http://www.scppa.org/meadadelanto.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 2007-12-14}}</ref> This same substation is also the southern terminus of the [[Path 27|Intermountain HVDC]] line at the [[Adelanto Converter Station]]. As this {{convert|202|mi|adj=on}} 500-[[volt|kilovolt]] line leaves the substation, it heads north and parallel with [[U.S. Route 395]] for a while.<ref name="Google"/><ref name="Energy"/> At Kramer Junction (intersection with State Route 58), the line turns east. The power line then meets the other Path 46 power lines from Victorville along with the Intermountain DC line near [[Newberry Springs]] and runs parallels with them for a short distance; all of the lines at this point are now heading northeast. After a few miles, the line crosses over the other Path 46 and Intermountain DC lines and splits off of the corridor; heading towards the [[Interstate 15]] where it runs alongside the highway through the desert until both descend into the [[Ivanpah Valley]]. Just prior to the California-Nevada border, the Path 64 line crosses the Interstate 15 once more before turning north and entering Nevada southeast of [[Primm, Nevada|Primm]] where it rejoins with the Path 46 and Intermountain lines again north of the community. The now scattered power lines then head in a roughly northeast direction across the desert to the [[Marketplace substation|Eldorado - Marketplace - McCullough]] substation complex. Path 64 ends at the Marketplace substation, where [[Path 63]], another long-distance transmission line from [[Arizona]] also terminates.<ref name="GEImage"/><ref name="WECC"/><ref name="WECC3"/>

This power line is operated by [[Los Angeles Department of Water and Power]] (LADWP). This line, along with [[Path 27]], the Intermountain DC line and other Path 46 powerlines, supply over 10,000 [[watt|megawatts]] of electrical power to the [[Los Angeles]] area. Path 64 is an essential line for powering Los Angeles.<ref name="WECC3"/>

==Capacity and source of the electricity==
The entire Path 46 system has a capacity of transmitting 10,623 [[megawatt]]s (about 10 gigawatts) from east to west. It has no rating to transfer power from west to east and historically this never happens. It sends electric power to the cities of Southern California such as [[San Diego, California|San Diego]], [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]], [[San Bernardino, California|San Bernardino]], [[Santa Ana, California|Santa Ana]], [[Temecula]], [[Riverside, California|Riverside]] and [[Bakersfield, California|Bakersfield]].<ref name="WECC1"/><ref>[http://energy.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/energynvgov/content/NEAC_FinalRpt-Section4-StrategicTransmissionDiscussion.pdf NEAC Strategic Transmission Discussion. Western states map, pp. 4-6 and 4-9]</ref> The sources of electricity are from [[hydroelectric dams]] (like [[Hoover Dam]]) on the Colorado River, [[fossil fuel]] plants (like the [[Chuck Lenzie Generating Station]] in [[North Las Vegas, Nevada]]), [[nuclear power|nuclear energy]] (like the [[Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station|Palo Verde Nuclear Plant]]), and more recently, utility-scale solar plants (such as the [[Ivanpah Solar Power Facility]] and the [[Desert Sunlight Solar Farm]]).<ref name="Google"/>{{ r | Energy_Nevada_gov }}

==Expansion==

=== Devers – Palo Verde No. 2 ===

A new 500 kV line called Devers – Palo Verde No. 2 (DPV 2) proposed by Southern California Edison (SCE) was approved by both the [[California Public Utilities Commission]] (CPUC) and [[California Independent System Operator]] (Cal-ISO) in the years 2007 and 2005, respectively. The new {{convert|230|mi|adj=on}} 500 kV line will follow the existing Devers – Palo Verde – 500 kV from Devers substation in the [[San Gorgonio Pass]] near Palm Springs in California to the Harquahala Generating Station (near the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station) in Arizona and will cost $680 million to build. The new line and associated upgrades to the regional transmission system will bring an additional 1,200 MW of electrical power to the [[Greater Los Angeles area]], which is enough to power 780,000 homes.<ref name="CPUC"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Transmission Projects Devers – Palo Verde No. 2|url=http://www.sce.com/PowerandEnvironment/GoalsandImprovements/cadpv2/|publisher=Southern California Edison|access-date=2007-11-16|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071016160050/http://www.sce.com/PowerandEnvironment/GoalsandImprovements/cadpv2/|archive-date=2007-10-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title= Devers-Palo Verde 2 – SCE to build a high-voltage transmission line between California and Arizona|url=http://www.sce.com/AboutSCE/Regulatory/fercsoc/EdisonNews/|access-date=2007-11-16|publisher=Southern California Edison}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Draft Environmental Impact Report / Environmental Impact Statement|url=http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/Environment/info/aspen/dpv2/toc-deir.htm|access-date=2007-11-16|publisher=California Public Utilities Commission}}</ref>

In June 2007, the [[Arizona Corporation Commission]] rejected SCE's application for the line expansion. SCE then appealed to the [[FERC]], and is currently working directly with ACC to find a solution. Construction on the California portion of the line could begin in 2009, but Arizona is not expected to respond before the end of 2009.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Arizona Regulators Reject Cross-Border Transmission Line|url=http://energylegalblog.com/archive/2007/06/13/Arizona_Regulators_Reject_Cross_Border_Transmission_Line.aspx|date=2007-06-13|publisher=Energy Legal Blog|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012055554/http://energylegalblog.com/archive/2007/06/13/Arizona_Regulators_Reject_Cross_Border_Transmission_Line.aspx|archive-date=2008-10-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=SCE Seeking New Transmission Line Project|url=http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/1508291/sce_seeking_new_transmission_line_project/|date=2008-08-03|newspaper=redOrbit |author1=Redorbit }}</ref>

In 2011, [[Southern California Edison]] began construction on a second line anyway between their Valley Substation in [[Romoland, CA]] and the new Colorado River Substation near the [[Chuckawalla Valley State Prison]], west of Blythe, which went into service in 2013. This has some use since 750MW of renewable energy generating capacity was being added in the region.<ref>{{Cite web| title=Sunrise Powerlink Transmission Line Project | url=http://regarchive.sdge.com/sunrisepowerlink/docs/srpl_whitepaper.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111218161641/http://regarchive.sdge.com:80/sunrisepowerlink/docs/srpl_whitepaper.pdf | archive-date=2011-12-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://regarchive.sdge.com/sunrisepowerlink/renewable.html | title=Sunrise Powerlink - Access to Renewable Energy }}</ref> A second line continuing into Arizona was not included in [[Arizona Public Service]]'s most recent (2014) plan, which covers planning up to 2023.

Both Devers – Palo Verde 500 kV lines are now split into 5 different sections.  Devers – Red Bluff 500 kV lines #1 and #2, Colorado River – Red Bluff 500 kV lines #1 and #2, and the Colorado River – Palo Verde 500 kV line. The Colorado River and Red Bluff substations facilitate different solar projects in the area and allow the opportunity to transmit into each station at 230 kV (known as 220 kV within Southern California Edison) or lower voltages and step up to the 500 kV system.  There are Series Capacitor stations between Devers and Red Bluff (known as "Cal Caps") and in between Colorado River and Palo Verde (known as AZ Caps).

===SDG&E===

[[San Diego Gas & Electric]] has also proposed a new 500 kV power line, with its eastern terminus at the North Gila substation and several possibilities for the western terminus and route configuration.<ref>{{Cite web|title=SDG&E Transmission Comparison Study|url=http://www.caiso.com/docs/2004/12/13/200412131010411299.pdf|date=2004-12-08|first=Robert|last=Jackson|publisher=California Independent System Operator|access-date=2007-12-10}}</ref>

==Incidents==

===Wildfires of October 2007===
On October 21, 2007 the [[California wildfires of October 2007#Harris Fire|Harris Fire]], part of the California wildfires of October 2007, damaged and disabled an extension of the North Gila-Imperial Valley 500 kV line that heads into San Diego.<ref name="sds1">{{cite news |url=http://www.sddt.com/Search/article.cfm?SourceCode=20071023czd|title=Fires wreak havoc on region's electricity supply|work=Jeran Wittenstein | publisher=San Diego Daily Transcript | date=October 23, 2007|access-date=2007-10-26}}</ref>

===Power outage of September 2011===
The [[2011 Southwest blackout|2011 Southwestern United States blackout]] that began on September 8, was a widespread [[power outage]] which affected parts of western [[Arizona]], northern [[Baja California]], and [[Southern California]]. A mistake by an [[Arizona Public Service]] employee at the North Gila substation resulted in the loss of a 500 kV line supplying San Diego Gas & Electric's North Gila-Imperial Valley segment on the Southwest Power Link <ref>{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/electrical-worker-blamed-leaving-millions-power-california-arizona/story?id=14478198|title=One Electrical Worker Blamed for Leaving Millions Without Power in California, Arizona and Mexico|last=Effron|first=Lauren|date=September 8, 2011|publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|access-date=10 September 2011}}</ref> causing one of the largest power outages in history for the Southern California region.<ref>{{cite news |last=Medina |first=Jennifer |title=Human Error Investigated in California Blackout's Spread to Six Million |date=September 10, 2011 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |page=A15 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/10/us/10power.html?scp=1&sq=blackout&st=cse |access-date=September 10, 2011 |quote=The day after the largest power failure in California history left millions in Southern California, western Arizona and northern Mexico without electricity during one of the hottest weeks of the year, local and federal officials promised Friday to investigate the cause.}}
</ref> Had the utilities affected realized the consequences to the loss of this line, they would have taken steps to eliminate the vulnerability. On April 27, 2012, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation released their report detailing the blackout and its causes.<ref>
{{cite news|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/09/blackout-san-diego-arizona.html|title=Arizona power company baffled by events that led to outage|last=Allen|first=Sam|date=2011-09-09|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=10 September 2011}}</ref>
Most of the areas affected were served by San Diego Gas & Electric Company, and left more than 5 million people without power.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/sep/09/power-restored-region/|title=Power restored to all 1.4 million customers|last=Baker|first=Debbi|date=2011-09-09|work=[[San Diego Union Tribune]]|access-date=10 September 2011}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist|em30}}

==References==
* [http://www.wecc.biz/ Wecc.biz]
* [http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/Environment/info/aspen/dpv2/dpv2.htm California Public Utilities Commission]
* [http://www.pge.com/includes/docs/pdfs/b2b/wholesaleelectricsuppliersolicitation/RPS/2013/EHV_Transmission_Map.pdf Map of several paths] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525165458/https://www.pge.com/includes/docs/pdfs/b2b/wholesaleelectricsuppliersolicitation/RPS/2013/EHV_Transmission_Map.pdf |date=2017-05-25 }} <!--better map needed-->

{{Power Transmission Corridors of the Western United States}}
{{Energy resource facilities in Nevada}}

[[Category:Western Interconnection]]
[[Category:Energy infrastructure in California]]
[[Category:Energy infrastructure in Nevada]]