Path 26

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Path 26 is a set of three 500 kV power lines that is Southern California Edison's (SCE) intertie with Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) to the north. Since PG&E's power grid and SCE's grid both have interconnections to elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest and the Southwest respectively, Path 26 is a southern extension of Path 15 and Path 66,and a crucial link in between the two regions' grids. The Path is located in the southern Central Valley of California (San Joaquin Valley), the Tehachapi and Transverse Ranges, and the High Desert area.

The two western Southern California Edison power lines in the southern San Joaquin Valley of California. Taken on Interstate 5, looking southwest at Coast Ranges and the semiarid foothills.

Southern California Edison's two 500 kV up close as they cross Interstate 5 for the second time. The wires will cross Interstate 5 for a third and final time before ending at the Midway substation. The third power line by Pacific Gas & Electric may be visible in the distant background if the picture is enlarged.

1 The Route
2 Virtual Tour on Google Earth
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] The Route

The Path, starting from the south, starts at the large Vincent substation close to California 14 and Soledad Pass. The same Vincent substation is linked to Path 46 and Path 61 via two SCE 500 kV lines that head southeast to Lugo substation. As for these SCE 500 kV wires, like Path 15 to the north, the three 500 kV wires are never built together for the entire length of the route. Straight from the substation, all three lines head north-northwest. The westernmost SCE 500 kV line splits away and runs west of the other two SCE 500 kV lines.

After crossing California 14, two 500 kV wires built by Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADW&P) join the eastern two SCE 500 kV wires. Some point west of Palmdale, one line (SCE) continues northwest and the other three (one SCE, two LADW&P) head west. The lone SCE line continuing northwest (with 230 kV lines) runs close to the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, famed for its California Poppy flowers. The one SCE line that ran west of the other two SCE lines (now separated) re-joins the single SCE 500 kV running west with the two LADW&P lines. The four 500 kV lines run together for some distance until, at some point in the mountains, the two SCE lines continue to head west and the two LADW&P lines turn southwest and head for Sylmar (close to the southern terminus of the Pacific Intertie HVDC line). The two SCE lines heading west meet up with Interstate 5 on the arid hills to the east of Pyramid Lake. The lines parallel the highway across Tejon Pass (running on the eastern foothills of Frazier Mountain) and run out of sight for a while as they cross the high woodlands of the northern mountains and foothills of the Transverse Ranges at their highest point at around 5,350 ft. (1,630 m).

As for the third line, north of Lancaster and California 138, it runs through a remote, roadless area of the Tehachapi Mountains with two 230 kV lines. Although it runs across sparse to dense oak woodlands at around 5,300 ft. (1,615 m), it is not easy to spot it on Google Earth since its right of way is not as clear cut as Path 15 and Path 66 to the north. Due to this, the line is not readily seen again until it crosses California 184 as a PG&E power line. Somewhere to the east of California 184, in the mountains, the line changes from SCE towers to PG&E towers, vaguely seen here in the background on California 99 and on Interstate 5 here. By the time the all three lines are visible to Interstate 5, they roughly parallel each other until all three lines, two SCE and one PG&E terminate at the massive Midway substation at Buttonwillow (picture of the substation can be seen here, on California 58). Two pairs PG&E 500 kV lines heading north and southwest (separated), form Path 15.

[edit] Virtual Tour on Google Earth

Starting from the South:

Vincent Substation close to California State Route 14 and Soledad Pass. The three SCE 500 kV wires (highlighted in blue lines) heading towards the upper left (northwest) form Path 26, while the two 500 kV heading towards the upper right head east towards a substation near Interstate 15 and Cajon Pass.

After leaving Vincent, the three SCE lines heading towards the left (northwest) split up as they cross California 14. The two upper SCE lines (eastern) are joined by two LADW&P lines (highlighted in yellow) heading west-northwest. The lone, western SCE parallels the four LADW&P and SCE lines for a while.