{"id":14214,"date":"2021-07-19T11:52:30","date_gmt":"2021-07-19T15:52:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=14214"},"modified":"2021-07-19T12:25:33","modified_gmt":"2021-07-19T16:25:33","slug":"morongo-band-makes-history-with-green-energy-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/07\/19\/morongo-band-makes-history-with-green-energy-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Morongo Band makes history with green energy project"},"content":{"rendered":" \"Morongo<\/a>
Lake Morongo on the Morongo Reservation in southern California. Photo courtesy Morongo Band of Mission Indians<\/figcaption>\r\n
Morongo Becomes First Native American Tribe to be Approved as a Participating Transmission Owner in Nation<\/div>\r\n
The tribe\u2019s majority-owned partnership will use newly upgraded Southern California Edison transmission lines to connect solar, wind and battery resources to the regional power grid.<\/div>\r\n
Monday, July 19, 2021<\/div>\r\n
Source: Morongo Band of Mission Indians<\/div>\r\n
morongonation.org<\/a><\/div>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nThe following is the text of a July 19, 2021, press release from the Morongo Band of Mission Indians<\/a>.<\/em>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C. — The Morongo Band of Mission Indians near Palm Springs, California, has become the first Native American tribe in the nation to become a participating transmission owner as part of a new project that will help California meet its green energy goals.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nIn early July, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) finalized all necessary approvals allowing operations by the Morongo Transmission LLC, a partnership between the Morongo Band of Mission Indians as the majority owner and Coachella Partners, LLC, a subsidiary of Axium Infrastructure. \r\n

<\/p>\r\nFERC\u2019s action follows a February approval by the California Independent System Operator (Cal-ISO), marking the first time a federally recognized tribe has received a designation as a participating transmission owner.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cMorongo is honored to be making history once again as the first tribe in the nation to be a participating transmission owner,\u201d said Morongo Tribal Chairman Charles Martin. \u201cOur tribe has a deep connection to the environment, and the agreement by Morongo Transmission to lease capacity on Southern California Edison\u2019s newly upgraded system will further that legacy by delivering green energy resources to the Southern California power grid.\u201d\r\n

<\/p>\r\n \"<\/a>

The West of Devers Upgrade Project will help bring more renewable energy to communities in southern California.
Photo: Southern California Edison<\/figcaption>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nThe agreement is part of SCE\u2019s West of Devers Upgrade Project<\/a> which replaced four circuits of aging high-voltage power lines along a 48-mile existing corridor that stretches from the Devers substation near Palm Springs to Grand Terrace and San Bernardino<\/a>.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nThe project, which crosses the Morongo Indian Reservation west of Palm Springs, tripled the system\u2019s capacity to transmit power generated by solar, wind, and battery resources in eastern Riverside County, Imperial County and outside California to population centers in Southern California at no increased cost to ratepayers.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nApproved by the CAL-ISO in 2011, the project supports California\u2019s Renewable Portfolio Standard and greenhouse gas emission reduction goals.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nCompleted in May 2021, SCE spent nearly 24 months the existing transmission lines with high-capacity conductors on new, stronger towers, designed to increase power flow by 3,200 megawatts (MW).\r\n

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