Sierra, Alturas-to-Reno Transmission Line Decision # 96-01-012  Project Manager: John Boccio, (415) 703-2641, e-mail: jbx@cpuc.ca.gov     Sierra Pacific Power Company has started to construct a 345,000 volt (345 kV) overhead transmission line from Alturas California to Reno Nevada.  The line will connect Sierra's electrical system with the BPA and PacificCorp power systems in Oregon and Washington.  The transmission line will be approximately 164 miles long, with the majority of the line (140) miles in California.  The transmission line will run roughly parallel to Highway 395.  The line will detour around the east side (Nevada side) of the Fort Sage Mountains and then return to the California side of the border before reentering Nevada at Border Town .  The proposed project will include a fiber optic cable system.  An Environmental Impact Report was conducted and later certified by the California Public Utilities Commission in 1996.  This project is currently under construction.  At present (8/12/98) over 50% of the transmission towers have been erected and wire stringing has begun on the southern portion of the line.  Restoration operations should begin once stringing has been completed.  Sierra Pacific believes that the line can be placed in operation by December 15, 1998.    Executive Summary of Alturas Project from Environmental Impact Report Complete Environmental Impact Report (The entire text in WordPerfect 6.1 format can be obtained through FTP.  The directory path is gopher-data/alturas and the files are in directories disk 1 through disk 8) D. 96-01-012 - Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity to Construct Alturas Transmission Line Return to:  | Current Projects | Environmental Information | | CPUC Home Page |