PG&E has submitted the first part of an application to the DOE’s Loan Programs Office, Paulo said. There are two parts to the application, she said, the first being a more “generalized application” and the second getting into specific projects. It isn’t clear when the second part of the application will be submitted.
The loan, if approved, would pay for new transmission lines, to convert transmission lines to higher voltage ones, and to replace overloaded transmission conductors with higher-capacity conductor, which could potentially be undergrounded, Paulo said.