Los Angeles – Taking a significant step forward in his efforts to make Los Angeles the cleanest and greenest big city in America, L.A. Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa today announced that the City will construct a major transmission line to deliver “green” renewable energy to Los Angeles from the Salton Sea. Named the “Green Path” project, the effort will be undertaken through a partnership between the City, its Department of Water and Power, the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) and the non-profit Citizens Energy will deliver clean, renewable energy to Southern California while also generating funds to help low-income residents.
When complete, the Green Path Project will increase the capacity of California’s transmission grid, reduce costs for electric consumers, and provide access to geothermal and other clean renewable energy. The project will benefit residents and businesses in Los Angeles, Imperial, San Diego and Riverside Counties.
“Today we are announcing a major step forward in our efforts to shift away from outdated fossil fuels of the past and toward the renewable energy resources of the future,” said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. With this project, we’ll provide Angelenos with clean, renewable energy and make substantial progress toward our goal of 20% renewable energy.”
The Green Path will upgrade existing transmission lines and create new interconnection points which will help LADWP to meet the City’s goal of obtaining 20% of its energy from renewable resources by 2010. LADWP plans to invest over $200 million in this project to attain geothermal and other renewable energy from the Imperial Valley.
“We’re proud to work with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the Imperial Irrigation District on the Green Path Project. We will not only address the important issues of reliability, redundancy and transmission bottlenecks but also produce benefits to serve low-income households throughout the areas served by the initiative,” said Joseph P. Kennedy II, founder of Citizens Energy and a key partner in the project.
Citizens Energy, a non-profit corporation, provides low-income residents across the nation with assistance paying their utility costs. As a partner in the Green Path Project, Citizens Energy Corporation will help pay for the project; in return, Citizen’s will receive a return on their investment and reinvest 50% of their profits to assist low income customers of the LADWP and IID Energy through electric bill subsidies and other need- based assistance programs.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the nation’s largest municipally owned utility, serves more than 3.9 million customers in Los Angeles. It was established more than 100 years ago to provide water and electricity to meet the needs of the city’s businesses and residents.
IID Energy is a consumer-owned electric utility that provides power to more than 130,000 customers in the Coachella Valley, Imperial Valley, and a portion of San Diego County. As an independent transmission provider, IID Energy has become the greatest transmitter of geothermal energy in the nation.