STATE OF CALIFORNIA
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

Welcome to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) website for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review of the Riverside 1 Project (Project) proposed by Frontier (applicant). Click here to access the Final Resolution Formal Proceeding website. The site provides access to public documents and information relevant to the CEQA review process. Additional Project information and documentation will be posted as it becomes available.

In accordance with CEQA, the CPUC, as the Lead Agency, is required to conduct a review of the environmental impacts of the proposed Project. On April 30, 2026, the CPUC approved and granted Frontier a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) statutory exemption under Senate Bill (SB) 131 for their Federal Funding Account broadband Project, Riverside 1.

On June 30, 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 131 (Statutes 2025, Chapter 24), which included substantial and immediately effective changes to the CEQA for broadband projects deployed within 30 feet of the right-of-way of any public roadway in the State. The statutory exemption is contained in Public Resources Code Section 21080.51.

Frontier proposes fiber-optic installation to provide improved broadband connectivity within Riverside County, California, along the North Shore of the Salton Sea. The Project is approximately 12.05 miles in length and includes two primary aerial segments and one underground route within the Project area to provide fiber-optic connectivity (Project Map provided below under Quick Links). Approximately 8.75 miles of aerial routes are planned, one segment will be along 71st Avenue beginning at Wheeler Road and another alongside Parkside Drive and Powerline Road, extending into the adjacent community. Aerial fiber will be installed on existing distribution poles within the disturbed right-of way (ROW). Along 70th Avenue, approximately 3.3 miles of underground fiber will be installed using existing manholes and a 4-inch PVC conduit. No new trenching or ground disturbance is proposed along this segment.

The Project’s Environmental Resources Memorandum, dated January 9, 2026, noted that portions of the Project corridor would potentially overlap the Salton Sea State Recreation Area, owned by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) and managed by the California Department of Parks and Recreation (CDPR), as well as land administered by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Palm Springs/South Coast Field Office. However, based on final design, the Project does not overlap with any federal land jurisdictions.

Project design follows existing utility pathways (i.e., where communications and/or other utility infrastructure are currently present) and will be installed within existing rights-of-way (ROW) and authorized utility easements in areas where previous ground-disturbance activities have occurred.
According to the applicant, the objectives of the Project are as follows:

• Provide improved broadband connectivity within Riverside County, California, along the North Shore of the Salton Sea.
• Remain within existing road ROW to reduce impacts to undisturbed areas and to limit the number of necessary contract parties to a feasible number.
• Avoid or minimize impacts to environmental resources.

Quick Links

• Frontier Riverside 1 Project Map
• CPUC Resolution T-17913
• Applicant's Enviromental Resources Memorandum (dated January 9, 2026)

Construction and Mitigation Monitoring

The CPUC developed a Conditions Monitoring, Compliance and Reporting Program (CMCRP) in coordination with Frontier to provide guidance and procedures for environmental monitoring during Project construction. The CMCRP is a tool to ensure compliance with the Conditions of Approval and Environmental Protection Measures for the Project's CEQA Statutory Exemption.

• CRCMP Revision No. 1 (September 2026) can be viewed here.

Notice to Proceed

The CPUC issues Notices to Proceed (NTP) to the applicant for construction activity after confirming that Zayo has complied with pre-construction environmental requirements for that geographic area and/or project activity. NTPs for the project are listed below.

Minor Project Refinement Request

Zayo may submit Minor Project Refinement (MPRs) for project changes that are not major enough to warrant potential revision of the certified CEQA document. The CPUC will review any MPRs submitted by Zayo per the process described in the CMCRP. Each MPR request submitted for the project is listed in the table below.

Construction Monitoring Reports

Monthly reports issued on construction progress as part of mitigation monitoring and compliance are listed here:

Non-Compliance Reports

Non-compliance reports (NCR) are issued by the CPUC to Frontier in the event of non-compliance incidents. NCRs include a non-compliance level of 1, 2, or 3, depending on the potential or actual risk to environmental resources caused by the non-compliance event. More information about the levels and NCRs is included in the CMCRP.

Schedule

For Additional Information

To request additional information or to be added to the mailing list, please contact the CPUC's Project Manager.

Narissa Petchumrus, CPUC Project Manager
California Public Utilities Commission
320 West 4th Street, Suite 500
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Email: FFA_CEQA@cpuc.ca.gov
Fax: (213) 576-7000