STATE OF CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION San Diego Gas and Electric's Vine 69/12-kV Substation Project (Application A.14-05-021 filed May 27, 2014)

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Welcome to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) website for San Diego Gas & Electric's (SDG&E) Vine Substation Project. This website provides information on the status of the CPUC's environmental review, permitting, and construction monitoring of the project, as Lead Agency, under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). SDG&E submitted an application (A.14-05-021) for a Permit to Construct Electrical Facilities with Voltages between 50 kV and 200 kV, and Proponent's Environmental Assessment (PEA), to the CPUC on May 27, 2014. A Supplemental PEA was filed February 25, 2015, which revised the proposed alignment of the 12-kV distribution line. A Final Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) was prepared by CPUC for the Project in accordance with CEQA.

This website provides access to public documents and information relevant to the CEQA review, permitting, and construction of the Vine Substation Project.

PROJECT STATUS

The Final IS/MND was adopted and the Project was approved by the CPUC on May 13, 2016 in Decision D.16-05-008. In accordance with CEQA, a Mitigation Monitoring, Compliance, and Reporting Plan (MMCRP) was prepared to ensure compliance with the mitigation measures approved in the Final IS/MND and is available here (35.6MB). SDG&E started construction of the Vine Substation Project in August 2016 and construction is scheduled for completion by April 2018. A report documenting construction and compliance activities through December 31, 2017 is available here.

Pre-Construction Compliance

A Notice to Proceed (NTP) was issued by CPUC for the entirety of the project on June 8, 2016 and is available here. Issuance of the NTP was contingent upon SDG&E's compliance with pre-construction requirements as specified by the approved mitigation measures and responsible agency permitting requirements.

Other responsible agency permits required for construction are listed in the Final IS/MND, Section B.1.14 (see below). Major compliance plans and surveys required prior to construction include the following:

• Fugitive Dust Control Plan
• Bat Survey Report
• Paleontological Resource Mitigation Plan
• Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Plan
• City of San Diego Municipal Code Non-Compliance Approval or Construction Noise Control Plan
• Construction Traffic Control Plan
• Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP)
  

Construction Monitoring & Minor Project Change Review

CPUC Environmental Monitors are monitoring construction activities to ensure that construction is being conducted in accordance with the approved mitigation measures and permit conditions. Monitoring reports documenting construction and monitoring activities are available here.

As final engineering is completed or as construction necessitates, Minor Project Changes (MPCs) are submitted for the Project. Each of these requests is reviewed by CPUC to ensure that no new impacts or increase in impact severity would result from the requested change. MPCs approved for the project are summarized below.

BACKGROUND

The Vine Substation Project is proposed to be located within the southwestern portion of the City of San Diego, California, near San Diego International Airport. A summary of SDG&E's proposed Project is provided below:

• Construct a new 69/12-kV Vine Substation at the southwestern corner of the intersection of Vine Street and Kettner Boulevard, just west of Interstate 5 (I-5).
  
  
• Relocate approximately nine existing 12-kV distribution circuits utilizing a combination of existing and new underground distribution conduit. The relocated distribution circuits would generally be placed within the franchise portion of City of San Diego public streets (public rights-of-way) in the Project area.
  
  
• Loop in an existing 69-kV power line (TL604) to the proposed Vine Substation, which includes removing two existing wood poles and one stub guy pole near the corner of California Street and Vine Street, replacing one existing distribution pole with a new self-supported tubular steel pole (TSP), and installing two new TSPs adjacent to the eastern lane of Pacific Highway.
  
  
• To connect the proposed Vine Substation and Kettner Substation to SDG&E's telecommunication system, additional fiber optic cable would be installed generally within the underground 12-kV distribution duct banks (approximately 2,850 feet), with an overhead connection (100 feet) into the proposed Vine Substation.

Application (A.14-05-021)

Proponent's Environmental Assessment

• Proponent's Environmental Assessment, Part I (Chapter 1 - Section 4.0) (6.1MB)
  
  
• Proponent's Environmental Assessment, Part II (Sections 4.1 to 4.18 and Chapter 5) (10.3MB)
  
  
• Proponent's Environmental Assessment, Attachments Part 1 (Attachment 4.6-A: Preliminary Geotechnical and Geologic Hazards Investigation) (9.5MB)
  
  
• Proponent's Environmental Assessment, Attachments Part 2 (Attachment 4.6-A cont. & Attachment 4.8-A: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment) (10.1MB)
  
  
• Proponent's Environmental Assessment, Attachments Part 3 (Attachment 4.8-A cont.) (10.1MB)
  
  
• Proponent's Environmental Assessment, Attachments Part 4 (Attachment 4.8-A cont. & Attachment 4.8-B: Water Quality Construction Best Management Practices Manual) (10.0MB)
  

Proponent's Environmental Assessment Supplement

• Proponent's Environmental Assessment Supplement (14.8MB)

SDG&E’s Application was deemed complete by the CPUC on May 4, 2015. The CPUC determined that a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) will be the appropriate document to be prepared for this project.

Final Mitigated Negative Declaration

On September 21, 2015, the CPUC released a Notice of Intent to Adopt an MND for the Vine Substation Project, showing that the Proposed Project, as mitigated, would not have any significant effects on the environment.

The Draft MND and supporting Initial Study (IS/MND) underwent a public review period from September 21, 2015, to October 20, 2015.

Following the close of the review period (October 20, 2015), SDG&E informed the CPUC of a potential conflict with a planned sewer pipeline project. Therefore, SDG&E proposed an approximately 1,030-foot realignment option which would instead reroute the 12-kV line along India Street between West Redwood Street and West Palm Street, and then along West Palm Street to Columbia Street, thereby avoiding the segment of Columbia Street between West Redwood Street and West Palm Street. The IS/MND was revised to address this alignment option, as well as comments received on the original Draft IS/MND.

The Revised IS/MND underwent a public review period from December 4, 2015, to January 4, 2016.

On January 18, 2016, the CPUC released a Final IS/MND for the Vine Substation Project, showing that the Proposed 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 significant, and presents mitigation measures to avoid or minimize these impacts. The Final IS/MND can be viewed here.

For Additional Information

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