California’s power grid operator will release a procurement schedule in May for the first two grid expansion projects totaling $4.1 billion needed to connect federally approved floating offshore wind energy development in a 206-sq-mile deepwater area off the coast, it said in announcing the expanded program.
The plan, developed by the state Independent System Operator known as CAISO, along with two state energy agencies, is the major component of $6.1 billion of infrastructure investment in 26 transmission projects announced. These would enable an added 85 GW of power capacity needed to meet state load growth and greenhouse gas reduction goals by 2035, CAISO said.