Rocky Mountains, West Coast Regions Lead U.S. T&D Buildouts

Written by Will Ploch, Assistant Editor-in-Chief for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)

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Summary

Led by developments in the Rocky Mountain and West Coast regions, the U.S. is set for a swath of transmission and distribution project kickoffs in the first quarter.

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New Lines, Substations Among Top Investments

Calls for more transmission and distribution (T&D) infrastructure across the U.S. has been a persistent issue ever since it became clear the nation would face a significant increase in energy demand from the buildout of data centers, electric-vehicle charging stations and other developing technologies. Many of the new T&D projects are in areas most affected by these trends. Industrial Info is tracking about $4.75 billion worth of T&D projects across the U.S. that it believes to have a 70% or higher likelihood of beginning construction in the first quarter of 2026.

The need for energy infrastructure in the Rocky Mountain region--in both its heavily populated cities and its sparsely populated rural expanses--is putting it ahead of the other areas in total T&D investment. PacifiCorp (Portland, Oregon), a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated (Omaha, Nebraska), aims to improve reliability in one of the region's energy hubs with a line rebuild in Glenrock, Wyoming.

The project includes up to 14 miles of new transmission line and upgrades to three substations. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project and Plant databases can learn more about the Glenrock rebuild--including capacities, investment values and necessary equipment--from a list of detailed reports for its component projects.

The West Coast region narrowly trails the Rocky Mountain region in estimated T&D project starts, fueled in part by California's heavy investment in renewable energy. Intersect Power (San Francisco, California) is preparing to begin work on a 15-mile line from Fresno to Cantua Creek, California, which will connect a proposed substation to the power grid, as part of the IP Darden Clean Energy Project. This multi-faceted project includes a 1.15-gigawatt (GW) solar plant and battery energy-storage system (BESS) in Fresno, both of which also are expected to kick off in the first quarter.

Subscribers can read detailed reports on the Fresno-to-Cantua Creek line, solar plant and BESS unit.

Together, the Rocky Mountain and West Coast regions account for more than 40% of the T&D investment across the U.S. that Industrial Info estimates to have a 70% or higher likelihood of kicking off from January through March.

By the Numbers

• $4.75 billion: Value of U.S. T&D projects Industrial Info believes to have a mid-to-high likelihood of kicking off next quarter
• More than 40%: Share of this T&D investment attributed to the Rocky Mountain and West Coast regions

Minnesota Set for Improvements

Other regions with a host of big-ticket projects include the Midwest, where Minnesota Power, a subsidiary of ALLETE Incorporated (Duluth, Minnesota), is preparing to begin construction on a major segment of its Northland Reliability Project, which is designed to improve T&D infrastructure in central Minnesota. A 70-mile stretch of new line from Crosby to Saint Cloud will accompany construction of the Cayuna Substation in Crosby. Subscribers can learn more from a detailed project report and plant profile.

ALLETE, which earlier this month closed its acquisition by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (Toronto, Canada) and Global Infrastructure Partners (New York, New York), also expects to begin construction in the coming months on its Duluth Loop Reliability Project, which is designed to enhance reliability in and around Duluth and along Minnesota's North Shore.

The project involves expansions to three crucial substations in the area, all of which are set to kick off in the first quarter. Subscribers can learn more a detailed list of project reports.

Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Project and Plant databases can click here for a full list of detailed reports for projects mentioned in this article, and click here for a full list of related plant profiles.

Subscribers can click here for a full list of reports for T&D projects across the U.S. that it believes to have a 70% or higher likelihood of beginning construction in the first quarter of 2026.

Key Takeaways

• PacifiCorp aims to improve T&D capacity in central Wyoming.
• ALLETE and its subsidiaries are building out T&D infrastructure in Minnesota.
• Substation developments account for about 40% of the total investment.

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About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) platform helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).