Welcome to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) website for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review of Southern California Edison's (SCE's) proposed Banducci Substation Project (Proposed Project). An Application for this project was submitted to the CPUC on November 15, 2012. The CPUC currently is reviewing the Application. This website provides access to public documents and information relevant to the CEQA review process for the Proposed Project.

Application A.12-11-011

Background

The proposed Banducci Substation Project includes the following components:

• Construction of a new Banducci 66/12 kilovolt (kV) Substation. Banducci Substation would be an unstaffed, automated, 56.0 megavolt-ampere (MVA), low-profile substation with a potential capacity of 112 MVA at final buildout. The proposed 66/12 kV distribution substation would be located on an approximately 6.3 acre parcel in the unincorporated Cummings Valley area of Kern County.
  
  
• Construction of two new 66 kV subtransmission line segments that would loop the existing Correction-Cummings‒Kern River 1 66 kV Subtransmission Line: one that would enter and one that would exit the proposed Banducci Substation creating the new Banducci‒Kern River 1 66 kV Subtransmission Line and the new Banducci-Correction-Cummings 66 kV Subtransmission Line.
  
  
• Construction of three new underground 12 kV distribution getaways.
  
  
• Installation of telecommunications facilities to connect the proposed Banducci Substation to SCE's existing telecommunications system.
  

Environmental Review Process

SCE filed its original Proponent's Environmental Assessment (PEA) with the Application on November 15, 2012. The PEA provided a starting point for the environmental review process that is to be conducted by the CPUC. After reviewing the 2012 PEA, CPUC directed SCE to supplement and submit additional information. A number of requests and responses ensued, culminating in SCE submitting an amended PEA dated June 6, 2014.

Original Proponent's Environmental Assessment 2012 (superseded)
Amended Proponent's Environmental Assessment 2014

Original (2012) PEA Review

SCE's Application and original PEA were reviewed by the CPUC. The Energy Division sent a letter to SCE on December 17, 2012, indicating that the submitted PEA for the Banducci Substation required supplementation and resubmission.

PEA Completeness Letter #1

SCE subsequently submitted supplemental information to the CPUC on February 5, 2013.

Supplemental PEA Information #1

The Energy Division sent a letter to SCE on February 25, 2013, indicating that the PEA for the Banducci Substation requires further supplementation and resubmission.

PEA Completeness Letter #2

In response, SCE submitted additional supplemental information to the CPUC on April 19, 2013.

Supplemental PEA Information #2

After reviewing the supplemental information, the Energy Division sent a letter to SCE on May 8, 2013, indicating that the PEA for the Banducci Substation again requires further supplementation and resubmission.

PEA Completeness Letter #3

In response, SCE submitted additional supplemental information to the CPUC on June 3, 2013:

Response to Question #1, Right-of-Way Description and Land Rights Definitions
Response to Question #2, Soil Types GIS Data (.zip file; right-click to download)
Response to Question #3, Vegetation GIS Data (.zip file; right-click to download)
Response to Question #4, Cultural Resources Survey Description (PDF)
Revised Mapping Suite of Data Package (.mpk file; right-click to download)

After reviewing all supplemental information, the Energy Division sent a letter to SCE on July 2, 2013, indicating that SCE has submitted all necessary information at this time. However, in order to deem the PEA complete, the CPUC requestsed that SCE re-file the PEA in its entirety in the format consistent with the CPUC's PEA Checklist for Transmission Line Projects (2008).

PEA Completeness Letter #4

Amended (2014) PEA Review

The requested Amended PEA was submitted in June 2014.

Amended PEA 2014

After a completeness review of the amended PEA, the CPUC deemed SCE's Application and PEA complete on July 15, 2014.

PEA Completeness Letter #5

Mitigated Negative Declaration Preparation

On November 14, 2014, the CPUC released a Notice of Intent to Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for the Banducci Substation Project, showing that the Proposed Project, as mitigated, would not have any significant effects on the environment.

Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND)

The Proposed IS/MND was made available for public review and comment from November 14, 2014, through December 15, 2014.

In order to help affected communities understand the Proposed Project and the Proposed IS/MND and to explain how the public can participate in the CPUC's decision-making process, the CPUC held an informational meeting on December 11, 2014, at the Tehachapi Police Department, Community Room.

On March 10, 2015, the CPUC released a Final Mitigated Negative Declaration, showing that the Banducci Substation Project, as mitigated, would not have any significant effects on the environment. The Final IS/MND details the Proposed Project, evaluates and describes its potential environmental impacts, identifies those impacts that could be potentially significant, and presents mitigation measures to avoid or minimize these impacts.

Final Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND)

For Additional Information

To request additional information, please contact the CPUC, as follows: