2024-2025 Transmission Planning Process, Phase 3 Competitive Solicitation: Bid Window Open and Informational Call

The California ISO identified the transmission solutions through the 2024-2025 transmission planning process, which was approved by the ISO Board of Governors on May 22, 2025. These transmission solutions are now eligible for project sponsor selection in the Transmission Planning Process, Phase 3 Competitive Solicitation process as follows:

• Interested project sponsors must submit an application deposit and complete applications to finance, construct, own, operate, and maintain the Northern Receiving Station (NRS) – San Jose B 230kV Line Project within the bid window, which runs from June 25 through Sept. 26, 2025.
• Interested project sponsors must submit an application deposit and complete applications to finance, construct, own, operate, and maintain the Manning – Metcalf 500kV Line Project within the bid window, which runs from June 25, 2025, through Oct. 17, 2025.
• Entities interested in collaborating with another entity may notify the ISO prior to July 10, 2025.  If notified, the ISO will post a list on its webpage, including contact information, of entities interested in collaborating.  Project sponsors are not required to notify the ISO to collaborate. After the bid window closes, there will be no further opportunity to collaborate.

The project descriptions, functional specifications and key selection factors for the three competitive solicitation projects are available on the 2024-2025 transmission planning process webpage.

The 2024-2025 Transmission Planning Process, Phase 3 Competitive Solicitation Schedule for these projects is available on the transmission planning process webpage.

The Transmission Project Sponsor Application, which includes the instructions and data requirement descriptions, has been updated and is available on the Transmission Planning webpage under the Transmission planning documents/Project sponsor documents subheadings. Project sponsors must use the most recent version of the application when preparing their proposal.

Please submit complete applications, including the application deposit, as per the instructions in the Transmission Project Sponsor Application before the closing dates specified above. The ISO will acknowledge receipt of the application to the applicant within three (3) business days.

More information on Phase 3 of the transmission planning process is available in the Transmission Planning Process Business Practice Manual. 

The California ISO will hold a public stakeholder call on June 25, 2025, to discuss the Phase 3 Transmission Planning Process for the competitive solicitation projects.  The purpose of the stakeholder call is to provide information to potential participants who want to better understand the process and projects currently eligible for competitive solicitation.

The stakeholder call will cover the following topics:

• Project functional specifications and key selection factors
• Submission of project sponsor applications
• Competitive solicitation process steps and schedule
• Matrix log of questions and answers

A presentation, as well as the schedule for these projects, will be available prior to stakeholder call on the 2024-2025 transmission planning process webpage.