California public power utility Silicon Valley Power recently joined regional partners in Fremont, Calif., to officially break ground on the Power the South Bay project, a major transmission infrastructure investment that will strengthen grid reliability, expand access to cost-effective energy, and support Silicon Valley’s continued economic growth, SVP said on May 22.
The project is part of the broader Powering the Bay initiative, a regional effort focused on modernizing and strengthening the Bay Area electric grid to meet growing energy demand.
Together, these projects are expected to deliver approximately 1,000 megawatts of new transmission capacity while improving reliability, resiliency, and operational flexibility across the region, the utility noted.
"As innovation, advanced manufacturing, electrification, and emerging technologies continue to increase electricity demand, investments in resilient infrastructure are critical to ensuring Santa Clara and the greater South Bay remain prepared for the future," SVP said.
“Silicon Valley Power is committed to making the investments necessary to support reliability, economic growth, and continued innovation in Santa Clara,” said Nico Procos, Electric Utility Director of Silicon Valley Power. “This week’s groundbreaking for the Power the South Bay project marks an important milestone in strengthening the regional grid infrastructure that will help power Silicon Valley’s future. Through projects like these, we are delivering on our commitment to provide reliable, affordable energy for our customers while supporting new jobs, advanced industries, and long-term economic development."
Procos added: "We appreciate the partnership of LS Power Grid California and all those helping advance critical infrastructure projects that will benefit the region for decades to come. We also want to recognize the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) for its years of collaboration and planning that helped make the project possible. Power the South Bay is one of three major transmission projects that will interconnect at Silicon Valley Power’s Northern Receiving Station (NRS) Substation, helping meet the City of Santa Clara’s growing electricity demands for years to come."
The groundbreaking ceremony included remarks from Mayor Lisa Gillmor and was attended by Councilmembers Sudhanshu Jain and Kevin Park, Procos, and regional leaders from government, labor, utilities, and industry. Mayor Gillmor highlighted the importance of regional collaboration and presented a commemorative certificate recognizing the milestone.
"Together, these investments are helping build a stronger, more reliable, and more sustainable energy future," SVP said.
