The transmission upgrades will support the integration of those projects into the system, Thayer said.
Golden Valley Electric, at the grid’s northern end, makes most of its power from coal but has some of the highest rates on the Railbelt. The upgrades will benefit the Fairbanks utility with more access to renewable power made elsewhere on the grid, said its chief executive, John Burns.
Renewable IPP is planning to build two new solar farms that will produce several times more power than the Willow project, in Houston in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough and on the Kenai Peninsula, she said.