WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris addressed climate change, clean energy and union jobs in Tonopah, Arizona, as part of a speech promoting the Ten West Link transmission line Thursday.
The Ten West Link transmission line connects Blythe, California, with Tonopah. Harris said the project will provide clean electricity from solar panels and wind turbines to big cities including Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Diego, as well as to rural communities.
“America is at the start of a historic transition away from fossil fuel plants that pollute our communities,” Harris said. “Our nation is building new sources of energy. In particular, new wind and solar farms, which generate clean power for millions of families.”
Most of the wind and solar farms are not located near the communities that use their energy, and Harris said infrastructure that can transport these renewable energy sources needs to be built. The Ten West Link will provide connections for cleaner energy.
Harris said the new initiative will also be cheaper, as clean electricity is, on average, cheaper than electricity from fossil fuels. The construction of more high-voltage transmission lines will also create union jobs, she said.
The Ten West Link transmission line is part of a series of investments the Biden-Harris administration has made for climate, Harris added. She said the flooding in California and droughts in Arizona are two examples of rising environmental safety concerns in the country.
“Our nation has not acted with the urgency the climate crisis demands,” Harris said. “I’m here today because this project demonstrates a very important point. It shows that when we invest in climate, we also invest in families, in communities, in opportunity and prosperity for all people.”
