Imperial Irrigation District and Regenerate Power Economic Impact Analysis

The Imperial Irrigation District (IID) and Regenerate Power (REGP) proposed a multi-regional strategic transmission expansion alternative known as the Strategic Transmission Investment Plan (STEP), which would expand the export of renewable energy to California and the Southwestern United States. Mr. Hendrix provided the economic impact analysis of the STEP Project, which focused primarily on the 160-mile proposed STEP path through Imperial, Riverside, and San Diego Counties to transmit power from wind, solar photovoltaic (PV), and geothermal renewable energy development that the line will serve. Using the Jobs and Economic Development Impacts (JEDI) modeling methodology, the analysis predicts the economic activities that will collectively be created in Imperial, Riverside, and San Diego Counties. Because of the high variation in solar and wind energy output that could result with the development of this transmission line, the portion of the STEP analyzed was divided into two scenarios: a conservative or “Base” scenario of renewable energy output that would achieve a total of 1,100 megawatts (MW), and a “High Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS)” scenario with a renewable energy output of 2,200 MW.