INITIAL STUDY
ENVIRONMENTAL CHECKLIST

Purpose and Need

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is proposing to build a 115 kV substation and an associated 115 kV power line in San Jose, California. The project is referred to as the FMC Substation project. The substation site is located on the north side of Interstate 880 (I-880) and south of the San Jose International Airport, within the City of San Jose, in Santa Clara County. The purpose of the substation is to reduce the voltage of electricity carried on the 115 kV power line to 12 kV in order to supply the local electricity distribution system that delivers power to users nearby. PG&E has stated that the proposed substation is needed to meet the electrical load growth in the City of San Jose and nearby areas, and to ensure that PG&E can supply the area’s future demand for electrical energy. Present normal capacity of the Downtown San Jose 12 kV Distribution Planning Area is approximately 323 MW, while PG&E expects demand to exceed that capacity in 1998, based on load trend increases of 4.73 MW per year. In 1998, the project would provide a net capacity increase of 10 MW, which would be sufficient additional capacity to serve the estimated 1998 demand.

The existing FMC Substation was built in 1981 as a single-customer substation to serve the adjacent FMC Plant. When FMC switched its electric service to the City of Santa Clara in 1989, PG&E reconfigured the FMC Substation to serve the Downtown San Jose 12 k V Distribution Planning Area. The existing FMC Substation includes a 115 kV-12 kV, 20-MVA (Megavolt-Ampere) transformer bank and a 35 MVAR (Megavolt-Ampere Reactive) synchronous condenser / 45 MW gas turbine standby generator which serves to balance projected deficiencies on the transmission system.. Current plans are to remove the existing FMC Substation’s 20-MVA transformer bank after the first 30-MVA transformer is in service at the FMC Substation, and to remove the temporary synchronous condenser/stand-by generator after the second 30-MVA transformer bank has been placed in service at the FMC Substation. As the operation, repair and maintenance of the existing substation facilities are exempt from CEQA review under CEQA Guidelines section 15301(b), neither the existing substation transformer bank nor the standby generator is examined by this initial study.

Note that the timing of the installations of the transformer banks at the FMC Substation could be affected by the timing of another, separate project at Substation A. This separate project would replace an existing 20-MVA, 115 kV-4kV transformer bank with a 30-MVA, 115 kV-12kV transformer bank, and make other modifications within the existing Substation A site, in the spring and summer of 1999. That replacement, as a separate project, would be subject to a separate filing under the Commission’s General Order 131-D.

PG&E provides electrical power services in the Downtown San Jose Distribution Planning Area (DPA), which serves the downtown, the San Jose International Airport, and surrounding residential areas. In providing these services, PG&E currently operates six substations. Substation A, Substation B, and the FMC Substation serve the immediate downtown San Jose and the area around the Airport; the Maybury, McKee, and Stone substations serve the rest of the DPA, which mainly includes residential customers.

The expected electrical load growth in the DPA would exceed the capacity of the substations within the DPA by the summer of 1998. Initially, the new FMC Substation would provide approximately 25 MW of the load in the downtown and Airport areas. Installation of a second transformer bank in about the year 2000 would also require a second 115 kV power line to provide transmission capacity to serve the load expected at the FMC Substation. Three off-site 12 kV distribution circuits, some aboveground and some underground, would be constructed to distribute power from the FMC Substation.

Project Description

The site of the existing FMC Substation and the proposed project is located northwest of downtown San Jose and south of the San Jose International Airport. The site is on a 4.07 acre block bounded on the south by I-880, on the north by industrial buildings fronting Newhall Street, on the east by Stockton Avenue with residences fronting on the street, and on the west by the Union Pacific Railroad/CalTrain right-of-way (see Figure 1). The proposed site is owned by PG&E and the existing 115 kV power line runs to the operating FMC Substation located on the proposed site.

Other land uses in the vicinity of the project site include residences and small commercial buildings in the area between Stockton Avenue and Coleman Avenue to the northeast, and industrial buildings along and to the north of Newhall Street.

The proposed site is flat. The site includes the existing FMC Substation, located on the southern corner of the site, but is a mostly vacant, paved area. Some temporary structures are located on-site. The portion of the property nearest Stockton Avenue is currently being used for parking and equipment and material storage.

The proposed substation at full build out (see Figure 2) is planned to be a remote-controlled, three- transformer bank, low profile facility occupying an area of approximately 300 by 150 feet. The substation would operate without on-site personnel, but would require maintenance inspections once a month. Development of the project would involve the following phases:

Phase	Development
I	Install the first 30-MVA, 115 kV-12kV transformer bank, an 8-foot-high concrete brick sound wall along Stockton Avenue, and perimeter landscaping between the wall and the street curb. Substation equipment installation and power line modifications at the FMC site include a high-side pull-off structure to bring the 115 kV line into the substation, air disconnect switches, bus structures, 12 kV switchgear assemblies, three 115 kV-12 kV transformers, and a central storage battery facility, as well as underground 12kV distribution circuits.
II	Install the second and third 30-MVA, 115 kV-12kV transformer banks at the FMC Substation. The second bank would be expected to be installed in the spring of 2000, while the third would be expected to be needed in the year 2006 or 2007. Note that the timing of these installations would be dependent on the timing of another, separate project at Substation A, as described in the Introduction, above.
III	When the second 30-MVA, 115 kV-12kV transformer bank is installed at the FMC Substation, install a second circuit of 115 kV power lines between Substation B and the FMC Substation. This power line circuit would run approximately 7,700 feet from a tap at Substation B to the FMC Substation site. Within that length, modifications of the existing 115 kV power line and the addition of new 115 kV segments would involve several actions, as described below: From the tap at Substation B to West Taylor Street, the existing 115 kV power line along Coleman Avenue would be rebuilt by replacing the existing tubular steel poles (TSPs) with new double circuit, 85-foot-high, TSPs (see Figure 1). Along West Taylor Street and along Stockton Avenue, a new 115 kV power line would be added above existing distribution lines. Along West Taylor Street and along Stockton Avenue the new 115 kV power line would use 65-foot-high wood poles (see Figure 1) for linear segments and tubular steel poles for angle structures. The new 115 kV power line would join as an overhead line the existing line at the south side of I-880, and would cross the freeway and enter the FMC Substation as a double circuit line.

In addition to the FMC Substation and second circuit added to the 115 kV power line that serves the substation, up to twelve 12 kV distribution lines would be constructed.

Overhead 12 kV distribution lines would be constructed on existing wood poles along Hedding Street between Regent Street and San Pedro Street.

Underground 12 kV distribution lines would be placed in trenches along:

Coleman Avenue, between Newhall Street and Asbury Street;

Hedding Street, between Coleman Avenue and Regent Street;

Hamline Street, between Stockton Avenue and Chestnut Street;

Chestnut Street, between Hamline Street and Newhall Street;

Newhall Street, between Chestnut Street and Coleman Avenue; and,

Emory Street, between Bascom Avenue and Chapman Street.

Other 12 kV distribution lines would be constructed as the need arises.

Substation Construction

For construction at the FMC site, all construction equipment, vehicles, personnel, and staging areas would be accommodated within the paved areas on and adjacent to the FMC

Substation site. Access to the substation site would be from an existing entrance at the north side of the property along an existing driveway from Newhall Street. Construction of each transformer bank would require approximately two to three months to complete. The following generally describes the construction activity that would take place on site.

As the site has been graded and is paved, no changes other than removal of five existing landscape planters, the construction of foundations for the transformers and other equipment, and the construction of a pond and other parts of the Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) system would be required. Any temporary structures on the substation site would be removed. Asphalt and soil excavated from the site would be segregated so that the asphalt would be recycled and the soil used as cover in a landfill.

Construction materials would be transported to the site to assemble and install the 115 kV-12 kV, 30 MVA transformer and associated equipment. The SPCC ditch system and containment pond would also be constructed. The SPCC pond would be designed to contain up to 150% of the oil from the largest piece of equipment, or 9,750 gallons. The transformers would be installed on sealed concrete foundations, and a berm built around the three transformers. The area within the berm would be surfaced to direct any oil leaks into the on-site, concrete-lined SPCC pond. A built-in weir system would be designed to segregate oil from the water, providing stormwater spillover and oil retention. The SPCC pond would be equipped with a manually operated isolation valve. An eight-foot-high solid sound wall would be constructed along the easterly boundary of the site along Stockton Avenue, and landscaping would be planted between the sound wall and the curb.

No electrical service interruptions to customers in the area would occur during the construction of the FMC Substation.

Power Line Construction

Power line construction for the new 115 kV circuit would include re-conductoring of certain existing power lines as well as the addition of new conductors in the portions of the line that would support a double circuit, and installation of new TSP and wood pole support structures.

Five steps would be involved in installing the new 115 kV power line: 1) clearing vegetation and boring foundation holes; 2) installing reinforcing bar foundation cages in the foundation holes; 3) pouring concrete for foundations; 4) delivering and installing the poles, structure arms, insulators, and wire-attaching hardware; and, 5) stringing the wire, completing clean-up of temporary structures and unneeded poles, and then energizing the circuit. The following describes these steps in more detail:

Boring the foundation holes, ranging from 36 to 60 inches in diameter, to depths of 10 to 25 feet would require use of heavy-duty, three-axle construction trucks with drilling rigs. For each hole, it may take a day to set up and dismantle the drilling equipment. Equipment such as front loaders and dump trucks would remove the excavated material from each site.

The preassembled steel reinforcing bar foundation cages would be delivered to each site on low-bed truck trailers. A construction crane would lift each cage from the truck and place it in the foundation hole. Anchor bolts for the pole connection would be attached to each cage.

Concrete mixer trucks would then be used to pour the foundations, using surface forms approximately two feet high, to develop the attachments for the pole base plate.

The wood poles and TSPs would arrive at each site on low-bed truck trailers, with TSPs arriving in two or three sections. A large crane would be used to raise the TSP sections or erect the wood poles, and then to raise the structure arms. Insulators and wire-attaching hardware would then be installed on the structure arms.

After all of the poles have been placed, temporary wooden structures would be constructed at road crossings to prevent the conductor wire from touching the ground as the wire is pulled into place. The wire-stringing would require the use of large, specially-equipped, three-axle trucks to feed and pull the wire. After a pulling line has been strung, either by helicopter or manually, and brought up to the correct tension, the aluminum conductor wire would be attached and pulled into place. Linemen at each pole would adjust the sag of the conductor to achieve the design tension and then would clip the wire to the wire-attachment hardware. After the conductors have been installed, all of the temporary road-crossing structures would be removed, as would any poles that were no longer needed, and the new line would be placed in service.

Use of heavy equipment along the roadways for installation of new poles, for pulling wire or for trenching operations, may require the temporary closure of single lanes of traffic. Based on a construction time of about two days for each of about 20 poles over the 7,700-foot length of the power line, about 40 days of lane closures would be required for the construction of the power line. PG&E would coordinate the dates and times for construction closures of traffic lanes with the City of San Jose, and to the extent feasible, lane closures would occur during off-peak traffic periods, between the hours of 9:30 am and 2:30 pm on weekdays. Actual marking -- signage and cone marking -- of the lane closures would be in accordance with the requirements of the "Work Area Protection and Traffic Control Manual" (California Joint Utility Traffic Control Committee, April, 1996), as well as the requirements of the City of San Jose Revocable Encroachment Permit.

Where the power line would cross over a secondary roadway, pulling the wires may require brief interruptions to traffic, with delays estimated to take no more than 10 minutes per wire pulling operation. Traffic could resume between wire pulling operations. Such installations would occur on the weekend, with construction hours coordinated with the City of San Jose.

Wire pulling over CalTrain tracks and the I-880 Freeway would not require stopping train or freeway traffic. Wire pulling would be done by two crews on either side of the tracks or freeway, or by helicopter. The Caltrans Encroachment Permit would regulate Work within the I-880 right-of-way; work within the CalTrain right-of-way would be performed in accordance with the CalTrain Standards Manual (1994).

Construction of the 115 kV power line would not cause service interruptions to customers.

Distribution Line Construction

As the poles already exist, construction of the new 12 kV overhead distribution lines would involve only the wire-stringing activities, as described above.

Construction of the new 12 kV underground distribution lines would require excavation of trenches in the street right-of-way, placing and connecting the new distribution lines to the existing lines and backfilling and repaving the excavation areas.

Similar to the construction of the power line, construction of the 12 kV distribution lines would require the temporary closure of single lanes of traffic either for pulling overhead wire or for trenching and installation of underground lines. Construction lane closures would be coordinated with the City of San Jose. Signing and coning of the lane closures would be in accordance with the requirements of the "Work Area Protection and Traffic Control Manual" and the City of San Jose Revocable Encroachment Permit.

Fewer than 10 customers would be out of service, for intervals of less than 4 hours, when the 12 kV distribution lines are connected. Service interruptions would be scheduled in advance, with at least 72 hours notice given to affected customers.

The proposed substation site is adjacent to the existing FMC Substation. The site is bounded on the south by I-880, on the north by industrial buildings fronting and to the north of Newhall Street, on the east by Stockton Avenue and a mixed residential/ commercial neighborhood, and on the west by the Union Pacific Railroad/CalTrain right-of-way.