BLM Approves Construction of 732-Mile TransWest Express Transmission Project

The Bureau of Land Management has issued a notice to proceed construction of the 732-mile TransWest Express Project, a high-voltage transmission line that will extend from south-central Wyoming through northwestern Colorado and central Utah, ending in southern Nevada.

Over 1,000 jobs will be created during construction and once complete, the line will provide 3,000 megawatts of new transmission capacity.

The TransWest Express Project will carry electricity generated by the largest onshore wind generation project in North America, the over 3-gigawatt Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project, located in Carbon County, Wyoming.

Like the TransWest Express Project, the 600-turbine Chokecherry and Sierra Madre wind project is partially located on public lands managed by the BLM.

The TransWest Express Project is the second high-voltage, multi-state transmission line completed by the BLM Wyoming State Office within the last year; the State Office approved construction of the Energy Gateway South project in May 2022. The BLM Wyoming State Office issued the notice to proceed in partnership with the agency’s Colorado, Utah, and Nevada state offices.

“Public lands continue to play a vital role in advancing President Biden’s goal of achieving a net-zero economy by 2050,” said BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning. “This large-scale transmission line will put people to work across our public lands and will help deliver clean, renewable energy. Our responsible use of public lands today can help ensure a clean energy future for us all.”

In a recent press release, the BLM said they worked with multiple federal, state, and local partners to prepare an environmental impact statement for the TransWest Express Project.

They said that they are considering environmental impact and how to mitigate impacts to sage-grouse, the land, and other natural resources in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and Nevada.