네바다주 당국은 급속히 확장 중인 데이터센터 회랑에 추가 용량을 공급하기 위해 설계된 주요 고전압 송전선 건설에 착수했다.
Construction is set to begin this month on a 155-mile transmission line and substation upgrade across Clark and Nye counties, designed to expand Southern Nevada’s electricity delivery capacity amid surging demand from data centers and other large-scale consumers. Governor Joe Lombardo, alongside federal, state, and local officials, will attend a groundbreaking ceremony today at Jean Airport for the Core Upgrades Project, developed by GridLiance West.
According to the developer, the initiative will replace aging infrastructure, add up to one gigawatt of transmission capacity, and establish additional routes for power distribution throughout the region. GridLiance West anticipates construction completion in late 2027, with the upgraded system entering service by 2028.
The project arrives as Nevada utilities and regulators brace for a dramatic spike in electricity consumption, primarily driven by proposed data center developments. NV Energy’s 2026 Integrated Resource Plan identifies approximately 22,000 megawatts of potential new demand, a stark contrast to the state’s current system peak of roughly 8,500 megawatts. Officials note that this figure reflects proposed projects and inquiries rather than guaranteed grid connections. In comparison, the Core Upgrades Project’s one-gigawatt capacity increase represents a meaningful but incremental step toward addressing that scale of potential demand.
Data centers currently account for 8.69% of Nevada’s electricity consumption, a share projected to reach 20% by 2030 according to the Electric Power Research Institute. Separately, NV Energy forecasts that data centers could grow from approximately 5% of its statewide retail electricity sales to 64% by 2046. The Core Upgrades Project does not generate power; instead, it strengthens the high-voltage transmission network that delivers electricity from generation facilities to communities, commercial entities, and industrial consumers.
GridLiance West plans to rebuild or replace 155 miles of 230-kilovolt and 500-kilovolt transmission lines while constructing or upgrading substations in Clark and Nye counties. Key improvements include converting the Trout Canyon-Sloan Canyon line into a 500-kilovolt double-circuit configuration, placing two independent high-voltage circuits on shared towers to maximize corridor throughput. Similarly, the existing 230-kilovolt Trout Canyon-Northwest line will be rebuilt as a double-circuit line. The regional transmission operator flagged both corridors for modernization due to aging infrastructure and constrained capacity.
The Bureau of Land Management granted final approval in June following a federal environmental review that commenced with a formal public-scoping period in August 2023. The agency has authorized GridLiance West to construct, operate, maintain, and eventually decommission the upgraded transmission lines, along with associated substations, switchyards, and access roads. Most work will follow established utility corridors west of the Spring Mountains, traversing the area between Las Vegas, Pahrump, and Indian Springs. BLM documents indicate the project will impact approximately 4,900 acres of federal public land across Clark and Nye counties. To minimize disruption to adjacent properties and limit visual and ecological footprints, GridLiance West intends to utilize existing rights-of-way wherever feasible.
The upgrades will enhance grid resilience by providing alternative pathways for electricity during peak demand periods or when critical equipment requires maintenance. While the improvements will lower the risk of disruptions stemming from overloaded or deteriorating infrastructure, they will not entirely eliminate the possibility of outages.
Transmission expansion remains a cornerstone of Governor Lombardo’s energy policy. On June 30, he joined ten other Western governors in signing a bipartisan accord designed to streamline regional grid planning and accelerate permitting for interstate transmission projects. The agreement adopts a roadmap from the Western Transmission Expansion Coalition (WestTEC) and establishes a multistate task force to dismantle regulatory barriers hindering cross-border power infrastructure. “Nevada’s continued economic success depends on reliable, affordable energy,” Lombardo said. “As our state expands and attracts new businesses, we need the infrastructure to support that growth.”
GridLiance West operates as a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Transmission and currently manages approximately 167 miles of 230-kilovolt transmission lines and related substation facilities within Nevada. The company acquired Valley Electric Association’s high-voltage transmission network in 2017 and subsequently constructed a connection with the California Independent System Operator, directly linking southwest Nevada to California’s broader power grid.