Project Brings Enough Energy into San Diego to Serve 650,000 Homes | Black & Veatch
Projects

Project Brings Enough Energy into San Diego to Serve 650,000 Homes

Project Brings Enough Energy into San Diego to Serve 650,000 Homes

Project Name
Sunrise Powerlink Project 230 kV Underground Transmission Segment
Location
San Diego, California
Client
San Diego Gas & Electric

The Sunrise Powerlink Project is considered the largest and most significant infrastructure project in San Diego Gas & Electric’s (SDG&E) history. The 117-mile, 500,000-volt electric transmission line links San Diego to the Imperial Valley, one of the most renewable energy-rich regions in California. The completion of the project in 2012 was the result of a rigorous, five-year environmental review and permitting process. This process was followed by 18 months of construction of both overhead and underground transmission infrastructures.

Fiber optics was included in the 6.2-mile, 230 kilovolt (kV) underground cable system design that is part of the 117-mile system. The fiber optics will be used to monitor the thermal performance of the high-voltage cable system real time. The temperature information collected by the fiber optics provides first-hand cable insight. This allows SDG&E to maximize power transfer capacity safely and efficiently.

 

Bringing Renewable Energy to Market

Project of the Year

As part of engineering service, Black & Veatch designed a forced-water cooling system to be used where the underground transmission cable system reconnects with the overhead line. The system will facilitate heat dissipation from the energized cable. This will eliminate a choke point by using water chillers, circulation pumps and control instrumentation.

The project won the ENR California 2012 Best Civil Work/Infrastructure Project and the International Right-of-Way Association 2012 award for Infrastructure Project of the Year.

Meet Black & Veatch

We seek partners in innovation. Let's start the conversation.