XII. UTILITIES AND SERVICE SYSTEMS

1. The project is proposed in response to a specific local need for electric power within a rapidly developing area in northern San Jose. As a utility upgrade, it would not in itself be considered a cause for further development of other new or altered power or natural gas utilities. Electrical demand in northern San Jose is expected to continue to increase rapidly, which would require further increases in electrical utility capacity to adequately serve the area. The expected further increases in electrical demand, and the need for further electric utility improvements to serve that demand, are not the result of the construction and operation of the North San Jose Capacity Project. No impact to power or natural gas systems or supplies would occur.

Pacific Bell provides communication services and currently serves the project area. The project site currently has telephone lines, and the operation of the new substation and power lines would not require any new communications infrastructure other than that provided exclusively for PG&E use as a part of the project. The substation would not house any employees but would be connected via telephone lines to PG&E engineering controls for remote operation and alarm systems. No impact to communication services is anticipated.

2. , d) The project site does not have any septic tanks or sewer services. The operation of the substation would not create a demand on water supply or sewer services. No restroom facilities would be required since the substation would be controlled remotely and not house any employees. Water supply for the substation landscaping would be required. Other than facilities that may need to be moved during construction of the power line to accommodate the placement of poles, no water or sewer lines would have to be moved or modified for construction of the project. No impact to water supply and sewer services is anticipated.

3. The area of the substation site is approximately 3.3 acres, and the storm water drainage from the site currently discharges ultimately into the City’s storm water system. The increase in the amount of impermeable surfaces (that would create additional run-off) is small and would have a less than significant impact on the local storm drainage system (see also Checklist item IV.a). Site runoff would not exceed the capacity of the storm drains serving the site. Therefore, the project would have a less than significant impact related to storm water infrastructure.

4. The project would require solid waste disposal service only during the construction phase. PG&E and its contractors for construction would remove all solid wastes from the construction site. In the long term, no solid wastes would be generated regularly at the site (PG&E, 1998, PEA. Therefore, no impact to solid waste disposal services would occur.

5. The project would require a minor increase in water use for construction that could be accommodated by available water service and would not have a substantial impact on local or regional water supplies. In the long term, no additional water services would be needed, as the substation would be controlled remotely and would not house any employees (PG&E, 1998 PEA). Water use would be limited to that needed for maintaining the landscaping. Therefore, no impact to water services would occur.

TOP