Vice President Kamala Harris got here to Tonopah on Thursday afternoon to showcase the Biden administration’s investments in clear power.
In his first official go to to Arizona as vice chairman, Harris attended the groundbreaking of the 125-mile-long Ten West Hyperlink transmission line, which is able to assist convey wind and photo voltaic power to the Phoenix space and Southern California.
Harris arrived in Tonopah at 2:56 pm for a briefing on the substation venture from IBEW employees. Kyle Gladden, the location foreperson, advised the vice chairman that the Ten West Hyperlink is about midway by way of an 18-month development course of. A helicopter put in some ropes on the road to keep away from disturbing the atmosphere, Gladden was heard saying.
Together with Harris are Inside Secretary Deb Haaland, Vitality Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Nationwide Local weather Adviser Ali Zaidi and Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs.
The Ten West line will join electrical substations in Tonopah and Blythe, California. The road will comply with the identical route because the Devers-Palo Verde 500 kV transmission line, which runs from Tonopah’s Harquahala Substation to the Devers Substation in North Palm Springs, California. It passes by way of public land managed by the Division of the Inside’s Bureau of Land Administration and Bureau of Reclamation in addition to the US Military’s Yuma Proving Floor.
About 120 folks had been on the Ten West Hyperlink development web site for Harris’ feedback and the ceremonial groundbreaking.
“Arizona, I’m right here at this time as a result of this venture reveals an vital level. It reveals that once we spend money on the local weather we additionally spend money on households, in communities, in alternative and prosperity for all folks,” Harris mentioned. “Once we spend money on the local weather, we spend money on America.”
Harris started his 11-minute remarks at 3:31 p.m., making an financial argument for clear power by saying it is cheaper to ship photo voltaic and wind electrical energy than electrical energy generated from fossil fuels. He additionally argued that clear power creates good-paying, union jobs. He broke floor for the venture at 3:42 pm
“The Ten West Hyperlink transmission line will go from Arizona to California. It should convey electrical energy from wind and photo voltaic farms right here within the desert, to huge cities like Phoenix and Los Angeles and San Diego, and to rural communities. like Blythe and … Quartzsite,” mentioned Harris. “This electrical energy might be clear electrical energy. Photo voltaic panels and wind generators is not going to produce poisonous fumes that poison our air or harmful chemical substances that poison our water.
“And the power supplied by these traces isn’t solely cleaner, it’s also cheaper. Typically, you see, clear electrical energy is cheaper than electrical energy generated from conventional sources,” he mentioned.
Shifting transmission traces “means a lot cleaner power for our communities,” Harris added. “And which means extra money in People’ pockets, extra money to purchase groceries, spend money on dwelling repairs, pay on your kid’s school, and save on your retirement.”
Harris talks about happening highway journeys as a baby. He and his sister would play video games like counting the variety of VW Bugs whereas marveling on the variety of energy traces criss-crossing the sky.
“Right this moment, America has over half 1,000,000 miles of energy traces, sufficient to wrap around the globe 24 occasions,” he mentioned.
The US is “in the beginning of a historic transition … towards cleaner and safer sources of power,” Harris mentioned.
The hyperlink venture is “groundbreaking for the area,” mentioned Hobbs, who spoke with Zaidi, Granholm and Haaland.
Haaland mentioned how the venture may enhance a bulk energy system for Arizona and California. He mentioned the clean-energy initiatives beneath the Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation and the Inflation Discount Act are “as soon as in a era investments.”
The BLM gave the hyperlink venture the go-ahead in November 2019 and permitted development in July. The Ten West Hyperlink is anticipated to be accomplished by the tip of subsequent yr.
The Ten West Line can transmit 3,200 megawatts of photo voltaic power and might be linked to any future clear power initiatives within the space.
The Biden administration additionally touted as its accomplishments the 2022 Inflation Discount Act, together with elements of the CHIPs and Science Act, the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation, together with govt actions, forming the core of its local weather change coverage. Biden.
The Inflation Discount Act authorizes $370 billion {dollars} to combat local weather change. The regulation additionally consists of funding to enhance the nationwide electrical energy grid, with roughly $3 billion earmarked for transmission funding initiatives such because the Ten West Hyperlink.
The venture is a part of the administration’s purpose to chop US greenhouse gasoline emissions in half by 2030 from 2005 ranges, that are slightly below 6,000 million tons.
Air Power 2 arrived at 12:37 pm at Luke Air Power Base. On the tarmac are Haaland, Granholm, Hobbs, US Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., and a number of other Luke officers.
On the similar time Harris was in Tonopah, second lieutenant Douglas Emhoff was to take part in a roundtable dialogue at Arizona State College about combating antisemitism. The occasion is closed to the media.
Later within the day, Harris is anticipated to fulfill with service members at Luke Air Power Base earlier than he and Emhoff head to Los Angeles.
Tara Kavaler is a political reporter for The Arizona Republic. He may be reached by e mail at [email protected] or on Twitter @kavalertara.
