Western Transmission Consortium Officially Launches Southwest Project Curation

DENVER, May 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Western Transmission Consortium (TWTC), a pioneering, member-owned entity dedicated to building interregional and interjurisdictional transmission infrastructure across the Western United States, is proud to announce its official launch. With founding members representing eighty-four (84) utilities across the eleven (11) Western states, the launch of TWTC is a significant milestone in the effort to develop a more resilient, coordinated, and future-ready electric grid that enhances reliability and enables greater integration of energy resources across the West.

Structured to support collaborative development across the eleven (11) Western states, TWTC has transitioned from its initial development company phase into its operational phase. This transition comes as TWTC completes critical governance, budgetary, and project curation milestones.

As part of this progression, TWTC held the first in-person Southwest Curation Process meeting on April 25, 2025, during which the Founding Members advanced discussions around project selection and alignment with state and federal planning goals. The group will continue to move forward with due diligence on nine (9) individual projects covering 1,100 miles across five (5) Southwestern states.

Chris Hansen, CEO of Founding Member La Plata Electric Association, said "LPEA is excited about the first iteration of Southwestern transmission projects. TWTC brought a broad stakeholder group together to solve the collective action problem the West has faced in building interregional transmission. TWTC mirrors LPEA's drive to deliver value to our members."

"PNM recognizes the need for coordinated transmission development, both in New Mexico and across the West, to provide the most reliable and cost-effective solutions for our customers," said Don Tarry, President and CEO of PNM. "I applaud the creation of this Consortium and am excited to take part in these efforts."

With the Southwest Curation Process underway, TWTC will now move forward with a Northwest Curation Pod in June to identify and prioritize high-impact transmission projects in that region.

"I have been involved with energy policy work in the West for 30 years, and TWTC is perhaps the most significant policy and operational advancement towards building transmission in the West. The TWTC Board, made up of former regulators and industry CEOs, is proud to be a part of this groundbreaking, transformative consortium," said Paul Kjellander, TWTC's Board President.

For more information about TWTC, its members, and ongoing project curation efforts, please contact media@westerntransco.com or visit https://www.westerntransco.com/.

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SOURCE The Western Transmission Consortium