Ironwood Transmission Line Project

The Ironwood Transmission Line Project involves the construction, operation, and maintenance of an approximately 86-mile-long 500 kV overhead transmission line connecting the APS North Gila Substation in western Yuma County, Arizona, to SDGE’s Imperial Valley Substation in Imperial County, California. The project will traverse a mix of federal, state, and private lands, including areas managed by the Bureau of Land Management, and will require the installation of transmission structures, foundations, conductors, fiber optic communication lines, and both temporary and permanent access roads. Construction activities will include vegetation clearing, grading, excavation, foundation placement, structure assembly, and conductor stringing, supported by staging areas, work zones, and existing route improvements. Heavy equipment and construction vehicles will be used throughout the multi-phase build, with traffic control measures implemented to manage impacts during active construction. Upon completion, temporary work areas will be restored to the extent feasible, while the permanent transmission infrastructure will remain operational as a critical component of the regional power grid. The project is managed under the oversight of the California Public Utilities Commission, with primary point of contact Michelle Wilson serving as Program and Project Supervisor, supported by Project Manager Allyson Little from NextEra Energy and Anne Surdzial of Ecorp Consulting as the lead for CEQA/NEPA services. The project was posted as a forecast on August 4, 2026, and key coordination for permitting and environmental compliance will be conducted through California’s CEQA network, with ongoing engagement required across multiple jurisdictions and landowners along the corridor.