Arizona-California power line goes to FERC

LOS ANGELES, May 16 (Reuters) - Southern California Edison on Friday submitted to federal regulators an "initial filing" including an environmental assessment and public input on a major power transmission line from Arizona to Southern California, SCE said.

The Devers-Palo Verde 2 line would be built on one of the corridors of national interest designated by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that allows federal officials to use eminent domain when states cannot agree on transmission projects needed to ensure reliable delivery of electricity.

While California's state utility regulators approved the 230-mile high-voltage power line, Arizona's state utility regulators rejected it in June 2007.

Pedro J. Pizarro, SCE vice president for power operations, said the utility will continue pursuing a new application for the major power line with Arizona regulators.

The national corridors allow utilities having trouble getting clearance from state authorities for power projects to turn to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for approval.

State authorities will continue to have to first say on the siting of transmission facilities. But FERC could use new powers of eminent domain and order the building of new lines, if state authorities don't act on permits after a year.

The line falls within two "national interest" corridors for transmission lines created by the DOE. In addition to the special corridors set between Arizona and California, the DOE named one in the Mid-Atlantic region. (Reporting by Bernard Woodall; editing by Jim Marshall)