A sprawling new power line between Arizona and California has moved into public review, and the Fort Yuma Quechan Tribe is pushing back hard against a route that would run through land it considers sacred.
Here's what to know
According to KAWC, the California Public Utilities Commission has opened its environmental review of the 500-kilovolt Ironwood line, and the public comment window closes at 5 p.m. on September 21.
The preferred alignment would run through the Cargo Muchacho Mountains and across Imperial County, after cutting west just north of the Fort Yuma Quechan Reservation. Before that, it would head out of the North Gila Substation near Yuma, turn north, and cross the Colorado River near Imperial Dam.
The Tribe opposes that patch. Manfred Scott, acting chairperson of its cultural committee, said the Cargo Muchacho Mountains, also known as Avi Kwa Suen, sit at the center of the Tribe's objection because of their cultural and spiritual significance.
More background
Horizon West Transmission, a NextEra Energy subsidiary, landed the job of building and running the project after California's grid operator flagged the need for a new line in a 2023 planning document and its board signed off that same year, KAWC reported.
Horizon West says the goal is easing strain on the grid that serves the Los Angeles and San Diego area, while making power more reliable around Yuma.
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Company representatives met with Quechan officials eight times between June 2023 and April 2025, and tribal leaders told them the land north of the reservation carries deep cultural and spiritual weight.
The company's own study also found cultural resources along parts of its preferred route, and by December 2024, tribal leadership had outright rejected any path north of the reservation.
What's being done?
After the Tribe raised objections, Horizon West says it considered swapping in routes that would run through or south of Yuma instead, tracing the Colorado River and passing near Interstate 8. The company ultimately dropped those options, pointing to development already underway or planned nearby, airport and transportation restrictions, and trouble locking down the land it would need.
Protect Kw'tsán, a group led by Quechan members, wants regulators to take a second look at those discarded routes and give the Tribe a formal seat at the table as the review moves forward.
Under the California Environmental Quality Act, the commission still has to write an environmental impact report, with a draft due in the third quarter of 2027 and a final version in early 2028. The project also needs sign-off from Arizona and federal agencies, since part of the route crosses federal land.
Comments emailed to CEQA@IronwoodTransmissionProject.com before the 5 p.m. deadline on September 21 will be added to the official record.
Protect Kw'tsán is asking commenters to push regulators to fully study the route the Tribe wants considered, rather than taking Horizon West's word that it isn't viable.
Where can I learn more?
The Ironwood debate is part of a push-and-pull over where energy projects go and who bears the costs. These stories look at disputed transmission routes, tribal power access setbacks, rail permitting fights, and California energy projects.
• In Maryland, farm families say a controversial transmission line would devastate their land and finances.
• In Arizona, the Hopi Tribe says sudden funding cuts derailed long-awaited plans for electricity access.
• In Utah, a Supreme Court ruling cleared a controversial rail project despite community warnings.
• In California, one of the nation's largest solar and battery projects has begun delivering power.
• California officials approved an offshore wind plan to develop a major untapped energy resource.
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