Solicitation issued for Path 15 transmission line work

FOLSOM, Calif.—Western Area Power Administration today issued a request for bids to build the new Path 15 transmission line between Los Banos and Coalinga in California’s Central Valley.

The solicitation for the Engineering, Procurement and Construction Contract can be obtained by submitting a fax or e-mail request referencing 03WN04081 to (916) 985-1933 (fax) or Path15@wapa.gov. Responses are due by 3 p.m., March 28, to the address listed in the solicitation. The contract award will be announced in late May. The line work is scheduled to be completed by December 2004.

Path 15 is currently a system of three 500-kV lines between Northern and Southern California, except for the segment between the Los Banos and Gates substations, where only two 500-kV lines were built. This project will add a third line and modify the substations at both ends of this segment to accommodate the new line. It will add 1,500 megawatts of transmission capacity between Northern and Southern California. Western, Pacific Gas and Electric Company and Trans-Elect Inc. are participating in the project. PG&E will manage all substation work necessary to accommodate the new line at its Los Banos and Gates substations. Trans-Elect is providing the major portion of project funding.

The California Independent System Operator has determined that the added capacity will significantly reduce electricity costs in California. As reported in June 2002, when the ISO Board of Directors voted in favor of a Path 15 upgrade, the ISO estimated Californians will save $100 million during a normal year and more than $300 million during a dry year when the project is complete and Path 15 can help mitigate the lack of hydro resources in Northern California.

Western is a Federal agency within the Department of Energy. It markets electricity from Federal water projects in a 15-state region of the West and delivers this power on a network of nearly 17,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines. PG&E is one of three California-based investor-owned utilities. PG&E delivers electricity and natural gas to 14 million customers in Northern and Central California. Trans-Elect is the nation’s largest independent transmission company.