Welcome to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) web site for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review of Pacific Gas and Electric's (PG&E's) proposed Cressey-Gallo 115 kV Power Line Project. An application for this project was submitted to the CPUC on November 30, 2011 (A.11-11-020) This site provides access to public documents and information relevant to the CEQA review process..

Background

In its 2011 application, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) proposed to construct the Cressey-Gallo 115 Kilovolt (kV) Power Line Project, a new, approximately 14.4-mile-long, single-circuit power line needed to improve transmission system reliability for customers in north-central Merced County, California.

The project consists of constructing a new 115 kV power line between Cressey and Gallo substations to form a power line loop with two other area substations (Livingston and Atwater). The new transmission loop will allow power to flow from another direction when there is an outage on a line feeding the loop, avoiding customer service interruptions from single-line outages in this area. As proposed by PG&E, the project includes:

• Constructing a new, approximately 14.4-mile, single-circuit 115 kV power line interconnecting Cressey Substation and Gallo Substation.
  
  
• Upgrading the bus configurations at Cressey Substation and replacing the existing radial power line transition into the substation within the existing substation property.
  
  
• Expanding Gallo Substation to add switchgear and upgrade the bus configurations.

The project is located in the San Joaquin Valley in Merced County near the City of Livingston, California. The project route is oriented primarily east to-west between Cressey Substation and Gallo Substation, intersecting with State Route 99 south of the City of Livingston. The project will connect Cressey Substation (located at the southeast corner of West Lane and Meadow Drive, approximately 2 miles east of the community of Cressey) to an expanded Gallo Substation (located on the property of the Gallo Winery facility at 18000 River Road, approximately 4 miles west of the City of Livingston).

CPUC Application Review and Approval

The PG&E Cressey-Gallo 1150 kV Power Line Project was evaluated in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). A Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) was prepared to inform the CPUC and public of the potential project impacts and available mitigation (information on the MND preparation is provided below). The CPUC voted on January 16, 2014 to approve the PG&E Cressey-Gallo 115 kV Transmission Project and Final MND (Decision D.14-01-003) and a Notice of Determination was submitted to the State Clearinghouse (SCH #2013021061). The mitigation measures and applicant-proposed measures (APMs) described in the Final MND were adopted by the CPUC as conditions of project approvals.

Construction and Mitigation Monitoring

Mitigation Monitoring, Compliance, and Reporting Plan

Following CPUC approval, a Mitigation Monitoring, Compliance, and Reporting Plan (MMCRP) was prepared to ensure compliance with APMs and mitigation measures approved in the Final MND. The MMCRP provides guidelines and standardize procedures for environmental compliance during project implementation. The procedures were developed in coordination with PG&E and CPUC and describe the reporting relationships, the roles and responsibilities of the project's environmental compliance team members, compliance reporting procedures, and the communication protocol.

The MMCRP can be viewed here (5.2MB).

Notices to Proceed with Construction

As defined by the MMCRP, CPUC must issue a Notice-to-Proceed (NTP) before construction can start. PG&E will submit a formal request for an NTP. On projects where there may be multiple work packages or work sites, PG&E may elect to request separate NTPs. Each separate NTP request will be applicable to a defined segment or aspect of the Project. CPUC will review the NTP request and the applicable pre-construction requirements to ensure that all of the information required to process and approve the NTP is included. CPUC may request additional information or clarification as needed. Based on information provided in the request for an NTP and its review, CPUC will issue the NTP. NTPs issued by CPUC to date for the Cressey-Gallo Project are provided in the table below.

Construction began in November 2014. Weekly reports documenting construction and compliance activities can be viewed here.

Minor Project Changes

As defined by the MMCRP, at various times throughout project construction, minor changes to the project, such as the need for additional or revised workspace, are anticipated and common practice for construction efforts of this scale and a Minor Project Change request would be required for such activities. The CPUC Project Manager, along with the CPUC EMs, will implement the Minor Project Change procedures defined in the MMCRP to evaluate each proposed project change for its potential for creating significant environmental effects to determine whether supplemental CEQA review is required. Minor Project Changes processed to date are provided in the table below.

Environmental Review Process

PG&E filed a Proponent's Environmental Assessment (PEA) with the Application in November 2011. The PEA provides a starting point for the independent environmental review process conducted by the CPUC.

PG&E's Application and PEA were deemed complete for review by the CPUC on December 21, 2011.

Mitigated Negative Declaration Preparation

On February 27, 2013, the CPUC released a Notice of Intent to Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Cressey-Gallo 115 kV power Line Project showing that the Proposed Project, as mitigated, would not have any significant effects on the environment.

The Draft IS/MND underwent a public review period from February 27, 2013, through March 29, 2013.

On June 7, 2013, the CPUC released a Final Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Cressey-Gallo 115 kV Power Line Project, showing that the Proposed Project, as mitigated, would not have any significant effects on the environment. The Final MND details the Proposed Project, evaluates and describes its potential environmental impacts, identifies those impacts that could be significant, and presents mitigation measures to avoid or minimize these impacts. The Final IS/MND can be viewed here.

For Additional Information

The CPUC, through its Environmental Review Team, is conducting an environmental review of the project. To request additional information, ask a question, or be added to the project mailing list, please contact: