STATE OF CALIFORNIA
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

Southern California Edison's Sandlot (formerly called Water Valley or Lockhart) Substation Project

(Application A.11-05-006, filed May 5, 2011)

Welcome to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) website for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review of proposed construction of Southern California Edison's (SCE) Sandlot Substation Project. An application for this project was submitted to the CPUC on May 5, 2011 (Application A.11-05-006). This site provides access to public documents and information relevant to the CEQA review process. SCE constructed the project and related facilities between April 2012 and July 2013. The project allowed the Abengoa Mojave Solar Project (AMSP) and other renewable generation development projects in the Mojave Desert to connect and deliver solar generation to the electric grid via the existing Cool Water-Kramer No.1 220 kV transmission line. On November 24, 2014, the backfeed to AMSP was completed and AMSP began commercial operation on December 4, 2014. This proceeding is now closed.

Note on the project name changes: The project was originally named the Lockhart Substation Project; however, due to an existing circuit in the system with the identical name of Lockhart, the project name changed to the Water Valley Substation Project. Subsequently, SCE determined the Water Valley Substation Project name was too similar to other circuit and facility names within geographic proximity. As such, SCE changed the project name to the Sandlot Substation Project.

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Background

SCE's application requested a Permit to Construct a new substation (Sandlot Substation) and related facilities in San Bernardino County as required to interconnect solar power generated by the 250-megawatt (MW) Abengoa Mojave Solar Project (AMSP) to the electric grid. The proposed Project includes the following major components:

• A 220 kV substation (Sandlot Substation) to loop the AMSP into SCE's existing Cool Water-Kramer No. 1 220 kV transmission line;
• Two generation tie (gen-tie) line connections to connect the AMSP into the proposed substation;
• Approximately 3,000 feet of new transmission line segments (two line segments of approximately 1,500 feet each), connecting the new Sandlot Substation to SCE's existing 220 kV Cool Water-Kramer No. 1 transmission line.
• One 12 kV distribution line to provide light and power to the proposed substation as well as temporary power for the construction of the Sandlot Substation and AMSP facilities.
• Three fiber optic communication routes and related infrastructure to connect the proposed substation to SCE's existing telecommunications system.

Location of the Proposed Project

Mojave Solar LLC developed the AMSP on approximately 1,765 acres of private land in San Bernardino County, California, of which the proposed Sandlot Substation was constructed on 8-10 acres. Interconnection of the AMSP to SCE's adjacent power lines occurs on and adjacent to the AMSP site. The fiber-optic telecommunication system diverges from the AMSP/Sandlot Substation site into three directions covering approximately 85 miles of corridors: Approximately 31 miles of new fiber-optic cable was installed between the proposed Sandlot Substation and the existing Tortilla Substation, located to the southeast in the City of Barstow; approximately 16 miles was installed between the Sandlot to Kramer substations, including approximately 7 miles of which crosses BLM-administered lands within an existing transmission line corridor; and approximately 38 miles between the Kramer and Victor substations, including approximately 8.5 miles that crosses BLM lands. The Sandlot Substation site and most of the fiber optic corridors are located within unincorporated San Bernardino County. Portions of the proposed fiber optic line pass through the city limits of Adelanto, Victorville and Barstow.

Environmental Review

Public Comment Period

The Draft IS/MND was available for a 30-day public comment period from May 16, 2011 through June 14, 2011. The public comment period is now closed.

The following comment letters were received on the Draft IS/MMD

• Native American Heritage Commission, part 1
• Native American Heritage Commission, part 2
• Lahontan Region Water Quality Control Board
• Department of Toxic Substances Control
• Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District
• California Department of Fish and Game
• Southern California Edison

Availability of Draft IS/MND

The Notice of Intent (NOI) to adopt the IS/MND is available here.

The Draft IS/MND was released for public review and is available here. [pdf 7.55mb]

Availability of Final MND

The Final MND was released for public review and is available here. The Final MND was also available at the Adelanto Branch Library and the Adelanto Branch Library

Mitigation Monitoring

The final report on mitigation measure compliance (March 2015) for the project is available here.

SCE's Application and Proponent's Environmental Assessment (PEA)

SCE's application and PEA-equivalent for the Sandlot Substation Project may be viewed here. [pdf 5.34mb]

To go to the SCE website for the project click here.

Other Documents Available

Environmental impacts of the Project were analyzed in large part by the California Energy Commission (CEC) in its September 2010 Commission Decision pursuant to its licensing of the AMSP and by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in the Environmental Assessment (EA) prepared pursuant to these agencies' consideration of Mojave Solar LLC's applications for a loan guarantee for the AMSP and right-of-way for the installation of the approximately 17 miles of the 85-mile proposed fiber-optic telecommunication network that crosses BLM-administered lands. However, additional analysis was required of the Project (specifically the telecommunications links) to satisfy the CPUC's obligation under CEQA to consider SCE's application for a Permit to Construct. Prior analyses of Project components are summarized and incorporated by reference in the IS/MND, and access to them is provided below.

• The DOE's April 2011 Draft Environmental Assessment (Draft EA) for Department of Energy Loan Guarantee to Mojave Solar, LLC for the AMSP may be viewed here [pdf 8.92mb]; appendices to the Draft EA may be viewed here. [pdf 48.5mb]
• The CEC's September 2010 Commission Decision for the AMSP may be viewed here. [pdf 4.16mb]
• The CEC's May 2010 Supplemental Staff Assessment - Part A for the AMSP may be viewed here. [pdf 6.63mb]
• The CEC's May 2010 Supplemental Staff Assessment - Part B for the AMSP may be viewed here. [pdf 5.67mb]
• The CEC's June 2010 Supplemental Staff Assessment - Part C for the AMSP may be viewed here.
• The CEC Staff's July 2010 Errata to the Supplemental Staff Assessment - Part B Air Quality Section for the AMSP may be viewed here.
• The CEC's March 2010 Application for Certification (AFC)/Staff Assessment for the AMSP may be viewed here. [pdf 17.2mb]

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