STATE OF CALIFORNIA
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PUC > Energy > Transmission and Environmental Review > Current Projects

PacifiCorp
Lassen Substation Project

(Application No. A.15-11-005)

Last Update: November 23, 2016

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Welcome to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) website for the environmental review of the proposed construction of the PacifiCorp Lassen Substation Project (proposed project) located in the City of Shasta, California. PacifiCorp submitted an application for this project to the CPUC on November 2, 2015 (Application A.15-11-005) accompanied by the Proponents Environmental Assessment (PEA). On July 16, 2016, PacifiCorp submitted an amendment to the application accompanied by an amended PEA for the updated elements of the proposed project. The amended application revised the proposed overhead distribution line crossing Interstate 5 (I-5) to an underground distribution line in the same location. The proposed project is subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). This site provides access to public documents and information relevant to the CEQA review process.
 


Quick Links

Background

Project Description

Application and Proponent’s Environmental Assessment (PEA)

Application Review, Date Requests, and Responses

Environmental Review (New)

For Additional Information


Background

PacifiCorp filed an application for a Permit to Construct the Lassen Substation Project with CPUC to construct, operate and maintain the Lassen Substation Project. PacifiCorp is proposing to replace and upgrade the existing Mount (Mt.) Shasta substation serving the City of Mt. Shasta. The applicant objectives of the proposed project are:

  • To ensure the reliability of the system by replacing the existing wooden substation with a new steel pole constructed substation on a new site.
  • To ensure that the system has adequate capacity to safely and reliably meet local and contractual system demand.
  • To ensure that the new system is designed to accommodate operating within a115kV transmission system.
  • To be operational to meet projected summer 2018 peak load demands.
     

Project Description 

The following are key components of the proposed project:

  • Construction of Lassen Substation, which would be built on parcels adjacent to the existing Mt. Shasta Substation, located at 504 South Old Stage Road, Siskiyou County, California.

  • Replacement of 36 transmission poles along a 1.5-mile segment of the existing 69kV power transmission system with wood-framed poles to comply with current California regulations. The 69kV system would initially operate at 69kV, but would be built to allow future operation at 115kV.

  • Installation of three additional wood poles to connect existing transmission to the proposed substation and connect lines from the existing substation to the new substation.
  • Connection of the new Lassen Substation to the existing distribution system by installing three 300-foot underground conduits from a cable pulling vault just outside the proposed substation.

  • Reconductor two existing distribution lines, which would include the partial reconductoring of the existing 4.16kV distribution system to 12.5kV, and the undergrounding of approximately 1,200 feet of the existing overhead distribution line.

  • Addition of three banks of 12.5kV to 4.16kV stepdown transformers to be added on the 12.5kV distribution feeders near the existing 4.16kV load.

  • Removal and restoration of the existing Mt. Shasta Substation.

Project construction is expected to require approximately 12 months to complete.

The proposed project would be located in the City of Mt. Shasta, California, in the south central portion of unincorporated Siskiyou County (see the Regional Location Map). The existing Mt. Shasta Substation and proposed Lassen Substation sites are both located west of Interstate 5 (I-5) and the pole replacement and reconductoring activities would occur both east and west of the I-5.
 

Application and Proponent's Environmental Assessment (PEA)

The amendment to application and amended PEA, supersede the original application and PEA for the updated elements of the proposed project. The amended application revised the proposed overhead distribution line crossing Interstate 5 (I-5) to an underground distribution line in the same location. Click on the following links to copies of these documents.

Amendment to Application - July 16, 2016

Amended Proponents Environmental Assessment (PEA) - July 2016

Application for the Lassen Substation Project - November 2015

Proponents Environmental Assessment (PEA) - October 2015

PEA Appendices

Appendix A  - Visual Simulations
Appendix B  - Biological Technical Report
Appendix D  - Army Corp of Engineers 404 Jurisdictional Delineation
Appendix E  - Geotechnical Report
Appendix F  - Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Reports

Note: Appendix C is the cultural resources technical report and covers culturally sensitive resources. It is provided in confidentiality to the CPUC to protect the locations of potentially sensitive resources.
 

Application Review, Date Requests, and Responses

The CPUC conducted a completeness review of the PEA and amended PEA to identify additional data needs from the applicant to complete the environmental review. Based on this review, PacifiCorp’s application was deemed complete by CPUC on July 28, 2016. CPUC’s completeness letter, data requests, and PacifiCorp responses are listed in the table below. Note that some of the files linked below have bookmarks that can be seen when clicking on the bookmark icon.

CPUC Review and Data Request

PacifiCorp’s Response

 Data Request Response Attachments

CPUC Deficiency letter and Data Request 1.0

(Submitted December 2, 2015)

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CA A.15-11-005 – Response to CPUC Data Request 1.0
(dated January 19, 2016, February 8, 2016, and February 22, 2016)

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

January 19, 2016
PEA_Admin_a-1-7_Contacts_Correspondence
PEA_1.7.a-1-4_PublicOutreach
PEA_3.1.a_OverviewMap
PEA_3.1.b.1-4_Figures
PEA_3.4.1.e_LassenSubPlans
PEA_3.4.1.f.1-3_GP
PEA_3.4.1.h
PEA_3.4.3.a-1-3
PEA_3.4.3.b-1-2
PEA_3.4.3.e_EL551
PEA_3.5.a
PEA_3.6.d
PEA_5.0_Fig_5-1_Cumulative_Projects

February 8, 2016
PEA_4.4-1_AnnualConstruction
PEA_4.4-2_AQ_GHG_Emissions
PEA_4.5-1_BioResources
PEA_4.5-2_RevisedBioHabAssessment
PEA_4.7-1_Table
PEA_4.12_Revised_Noise

February 22, 2016
PEA_4.1.b_VP10

CPUC Data Request 2.0

(Submitted January 19, 2016)

 

 

CA A.15-11-005 – Response to CPUC Data Request 2.0
(dated February 22, 2016)

 

 

February 22, 2016
PEA_3.0.a_I-5_CrossingIllustration
PEA_3.0.b_JessieStAeriaView_4.18.05
PEA_3.0.c_General Plan
PEA 4.1.a_VP3
PEA_4.1.b_VP2_VP6
PEA_4.1.c.1-5_Caltrans

CPUC Completeness letter and Data Request 3.0

(Submitted July 28, 2016)

 

 

CA A.15-11-005 – Response to CPUC Data Request 3.0
(dated August 9, 2016)

 

 

August 9, 2016
PEA 4.1_VP3_DR3

 

 

 


New Environmental Review

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

On November 23, 2016, the CPUC released a Notice of Intent (NOI) to Adopt a MND for the Lassen Substation Project, showing that the proposed project, as mitigated, would not have any significant effects on the environment. The NOI and Draft IS/MND are available by clicking on the following links:

 

For Additional Information

The CPUC, through its Environmental Review Team, is conducting an environmental review of the project. To request additional information or to be added to the mailing list, please contact us by email, fax, or phone, as follows:

Project email: LassenSubstation@dudek.com
Project voicemail: (844) 379-3477
Project fax: (844) 386-5633


The CPUC’s Project Manager is:

Michael Rosauer, CPUC Project Manager
California Public Utilities Commission
505 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102
Tel.: (415) 703-2579

 

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