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STATE OF CALIFORNIA
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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) San Joaquin Cross Valley Loop Transmission Project. An application for this project was submitted to the CPUC on May 30, 2008 (Application A.08-05-039). This site provides access to public documents and information relevant to the CEQA review process. On July 29, 2010, the CPUC published the final decision on this proceeding. This proceeding is now closed. |
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BackgroundTulare County is one of the fastest growing regions in California. This increased growth has resulted in an increased demand for electricity. SCE determined that the existing transmission lines, which deliver electricity to the Rector Substation located southeast of Visalia, were operating at or near their limits and would be unable to deliver sufficient electricity to safely and reliably serve this increased demand. As a result, SCE proposed to construct the San Joaquin Cross Valley Loop Project, which would consist of the construction of a new 19 mile double-circuit 220 kilovolt transmission line. This proposed line would connect to an existing 220 kilovolt line, which would allow SCE to deliver additional power from SCE's Big Creek hydroelectric facilities in the Sierra Nevada Mountains into the Rector Substation. To view a project area map showing the proposed and possible alternate routes, click here. To see the map in spanish, click here. Environmental ReviewThe CEQA ProcessAs the state agency with the authority to certify Southern California Edison's San Joaquin Cross Valley Loop project, the CPUC will carry out the environmental review/public participation process mandated under CEQA to identify, evaluate, and mitigate the possible impacts of the project on the environment. The review conducted by the CPUC was an independent and unbiased environmental analysis of the various project alternatives available for implementation, culminating in the identification and recommendation of an "environmentally superior project alternative". Based on the public comments and information collected from the scoping meetings and in-the-field environmental studies, the CPUC prepared an analysis known as a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). The DEIR identified the "environmentally superior" alternative from the range of project alternatives previously evaluated. The DEIR was circulated to the public for 45 days for review and comment. During this period, the CPUC held several community meetings in the project area to solicit public comments with regard to the DEIR. Comments and recommendations from the public were then addressed and incorporated into a document known as a Final EIR (FEIR). The document was forwarded to a CPUC Administrative Law Judge, who incorporated the major findings and mitigation measures identified in the FEIR, into a draft CPUC decision. The draft decision was circulated for 30 days to all parties to the proceeding. Commissioners of the CPUC then voted on the proposed decision in a public meeting on July 29, 2010. Educational WorkshopIn response to letters of concern and comments from the public regarding the Proposed Project, the CPUC held two Educational Workshops in Tulare County on August 11th and 12th, 2008. Click here to view the notice in English and Spanish. Topics Covered in these Educational Workshops. Both workshops covered the same information. Specifically, the workshops addressed:
Also available from the workshop are the:
Public Scoping Period for this Notice of PreparationOn August 22, 2008 the CPUC published a Notice of Preparation (NOP) of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the San Joaquin Cross Valley Loop Transmission Line Project (A.08-05-039). Click here to view the NOP in English and Spanish. Scoping MeetingIn order for the public and regulatory agencies to have an opportunity to ask questions and submit comments on the scope of the EIR, two meetings were held on September 17th and 18th, 2008 in Farmersville and Woodlake, respectively, during the NOP scoping period. Subsequent to the presentation, interested parties were be provided an opportunity to ask questions and provide comments about the project. The public scoping period closed at 5:00 p.m. on September 22, 2008. To view the scoping meeting presentation, click here. To view the Scoping Report, click here. [pdf 34.5mb] Proponent's Environmental Assessment (PEA)To view the PEA for the project click a link below: Other Documents AvailableTo view the Application for the project click here. Application Deemed Complete Letter (June 17, 2008), click here to view. Fact sheet, click here to view. Data RequestsThe EIR Team submits Data Requests to SCE and other entities when it needs specific information to support EIR preparation. The following are the data requests submitted to date: Data Request Letter No. 1 (June 17, 2008), click here to view. Responses may be viewed by clicking here. Data Request Letter No. 2 (June 23, 2008), click here to view. Responses may be viewed by clicking here. Data Request Letter No. 3 (August 7, 2008), click here to view. Responses may be viewed by clicking here. Data Request Letter No. 4 (August 21, 2008), click here to view. Responses may be viewed by clicking here. DR #4 has two attachments (click on each link to view them): A - Internet Research Samples, and B - Compliance Handbook. Data Request Letter No. 5 (November 26, 2008), click here to view. Responses may be viewed by clicking here. Data Request Letter No. 6 (February 6, 2009), click here to view. Responses may be viewed by clicking here. Data Request Letter No. 7 (August 17, 2009), click here to view. Responses may be viewed by clicking here. |
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Construction Progress and Mitigation Monitoring, Reporting, and Compliance ProgramThe CPUC, as the lead agency, is responsible for ensuring that the mitigation measures, as well as plans reviewed and approved by other agencies, are implemented throughout the construction phase of the Project. The Project documents related to mitigation monitoring are available for public review on the Mitigation Monitoring page on this site. |
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Environmental Impact ReportThe Draft Environmental Impact Report published on June 16, 2009 be viewed by clicking here and the Notice of Availability for the Draft EIR may be viewed by clicking here. Public Comment on the Draft EIRThe Draft EIR was available for a 45-day public comment period June 16, 2009 through July 31, 2009. This period is now closed. On July 23, 2009, the CPUC held a public comment meeting at the Visalia Convention Center to receive oral and written comments from interested parties. Comment letters received by the CPUC during the 45-day comment period on the Draft Environmental Impact Report may be viewed by clicking here. |
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Final EIRThe Final EIR was published on February 24, 2010.
For Additional InformationThe CPUC, through its Environmental Review Team, manages environmental review of the project. The CPUC's Project Manager in the Energy Division's CEQA unit is: Mr. Jensen Uchida, CPUC Project Manager |
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