Welcome to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) website for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review of the proposed LS Power Grid California, LLC (LSPGC) Power the South Bay Project (Project). LSPGC filed an Application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity Authorizing Construction of the Project (Application A.24-05-014) on May 17, 2024. This site provides access to public documents and information relevant to the CEQA review process.
Introduction and Background
LSPGC, in its CPUC application (A.24-05-014) filed on May 17, 2024, requests a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) for the construction of the
Power the South Bay Project (Project). In determining whether to issue a CPCN, the CPUC conducts a thorough environmental review and considers other factors such as demand forecasts, alternatives, and the cost and need of the proposed project.
The Project would include two new high-voltage direct current (HVDC) terminals and associated new transmission lines connecting the existing Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) Newark 230 kilovolt (kV) substation and the existing Silicon Valley Power (SVP) Northern Receiving Station (NRS) 230 kV substation. The new transmission lines would extend approximately 12.5 miles and would be a combination of both overhead and underground lines. The two new HVDC terminals would be the new Albrae HVDC converter station terminal (interconnected to the existing Newark substation) and the new Baylands HVDC converter station terminal (interconnected to the existing NRS substation). The proposed new HVDC terminals’ primary function would be to convert AC power to DC power at the sending terminal and to convert DC power back to AC power at the receiving terminal. In addition, the Project would include new facilities and modifications to the existing PG&E Newark and SVP NRS substations to accommodate interconnection to the new HVDC terminals and associated transmission lines . The Project would be located in the cities of Fremont, Milpitas, San José, and Santa Clara, and within the counties of Alameda and Santa Clara.
The application includes a Proponent’s Environmental Assessment (PEA) prepared pursuant to Rule 2.4 of the CPUC's Rules of Practice and Procedure. The Proposed Project was approved by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) to ensure the reliability of the CAISO-controlled grid.
As identified by LSPGC, the Project would:
- Ensure reliability of the South Bay sub-area of the Greater Bay Area of the CAISO-controlled grid;
- Provide better access to cost-effective renewable energy and other electric transmission grid benefits;
- Support the provision of safe, reliable, and adequate electricity service to the PG&E and SVP service territories;
- Provide voltage support to the existing PG&E transmission system to support additional load growth; and
- Facilitate the importation and use of renewable electricity to fulfill the State of California’s energy policies and goals by ensuring reliable operation of the grid.
Environmental Review
As the CEQA Lead Agency, the CPUC will prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to evaluate the environmental effects of the proposed project. The following table includes milestones and anticipated dates for the CEQA review process.
| Project Milestones as of August 2024 | |
|---|---|
| Milestone | Date |
| Application and PEA submitted by LSPGC to CPUC | May 17, 2024 |
| Application Deemed Complete by CPUC | June 13, 2024 |
| Notice of Preparation and Scoping | July 29 - August 30, 2024 |
| Publication of Draft EIR | TBD |
| Public CEQA Review Period (45 days) | TBD | Publication of Final EIR | TBD | CPUC Adoption of Final EIR and Approval of the Project | TBD | Start of Construction (anticipated) | TBD |
EIR Scoping
Notice of Preparation of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR)
The CPUC has prepared a Notice of Preparation (NOP) of an EIR for the Project to solicit agency and public input on the scope of the EIR. The NOP may be viewed here. During the scoping period, beginning July 29, 2024, and ending August 30, 2024, all interested parties, including responsible and trustee agencies, groups, and the public, are invited to provide input on the scope of the EIR.
Scoping Meetings and Scoping Report
In order for the public and agencies to have an opportunity to submit verbal comments on the scope of the EIR, two virtual meetings (one in the afternoon and one in the evening) were held via Zoom link and telephone on August 15, 2024.
The scoping meeting presentation is available for viewing here.
Documents Available for Review
Public documents related to the Power the South Bay Project can be found here:
LSPGC CPCN Application A.24-05-014 (May 17, 2024)
Proponent’s Environmental Assessment PEA (May 17, 2024)
PEA Appendix 1-A Figures
PEA Appendix 2-A PEA Checklist
PEA Appendix 3-A Construction Equipment and Workforce Table
PEA Appendix 5.3-A Air Quality and GHG Modeling Files
PEA Appendix 5.4-A Biological Resources Technical Report
PEA Appendix 5.5-A-E Cultural Resources Technical Report (confidential not posted)
PEA Appendix 5.6-A Fuel Use Calculations
PEA Appendix 5.7-A Paleontological Resources Technical Report
PEA Appendix 5.9-A ERIS Corridor Report (HazMat)
PEA Appendix 5.9-B Hazardous Materials Sites Summary Table
PEA Appendix 5.9-C Preliminary Induction Study
PEA Appendix 5.13-A Noise Measurements
PEA Appendix 7-A Cumulative Projects Table
PEA Appendix C Map of the Project
PEA Appendix G Electric and Magnetic Fields Management Plan
CPUC PEA Completeness Letter and Data Request 1 (June 13, 2024)
For Additional Information
The CPUC Energy Division is managing the environmental review of the Project. To request additional information, or to be added to the mailing list, please contact us:
Project email: PowertheSouthBay@esassoc.com or at 408-450-7231The CPUC’s Project Manager is:
Tommy Alexander
California Public Utilities Commission
Energy Division, CEQA and Energy Permitting Section
505 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco, California 94102
Project email:
tommy.alexander@cpuc.ca.gov