Welcome to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) website for the environmental review of a proposed 500-kilovolt (kV) transmission line from the Antelope Substation in northern Los Angeles County to the Pardee Substation in the City of Santa Clarita. Southern California Edison (SCE) submitted an application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) for this project to the CPUC on December 9, 2004. SCE has also submitted an application for a Special Use Easement to the USDA Forest Service. The proposed Project is subject to review under both the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This site provides access to public documents and information relevant to the CEQA and NEPA review processes.

Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement

The CPUC and the USDA Forest Service have released the Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIR/EIS) for the proposed Project. The public comment period for this document extends from August 4, 2006 to September 18, 2006. Maps and figures relevant to the proposed Project and alternatives are provided in the Draft EIR/EIS. (Click on the colored text above to access the Draft EIR/EIS.)

Public Meetings on the Draft EIR/EIS

The CPUC and the USDA Forest Service will conduct a series of public meetings on August 28th, 29th, and 30th of 2006. The purpose of these meetings is for the public and other interested parties to submit oral or written comments on the Draft EIR/EIS.

The schedule for these public meetings is provided below.

Project Background and Other Project Information

Background

SCE has filed applications with the CPUC and the USDA Forest Service to construct a new, 25.6-mile 500-kV transmission line between SCE's existing Antelope and Pardee Substations in Los Angeles County, California. The proposed 500-kV transmission line would replace an existing 66-kV line that traverses the majority of the proposed route between Antelope Substation and Pardee Substation, including approximately 13 miles within the Angeles National Forest (ANF).

The proposed 500-kV transmission line route traverses residential developments in the Santa Clarita Valley, north and east of the existing Pardee Substation. The 500-kV transmission line would be energized initially at 220 kV. The proposed Project would include electrical interconnections at the existing Antelope and Pardee substations as well as an initial expansion of the Antelope Substation and relocation of several existing 66-kV sub-transmission lines in the vicinity of Antelope Substation (collectively, referred to as the Antelope-Pardee 500-kV Transmission Line Project). The proposed Project also includes the acquisition and fencing of approximately 31 acres of land necessary for upgrades to the existing Antelope Substation.

The following links provide general project maps. Additional maps and figures for the proposed Project and alternatives are provided in the Draft EIR/EIS.

Maps of the proposed transmission route can be viewed at the links below:

Map 1    Map 2    Map 3    Map 4

Aerial Photo of Santa Clarita Area

Proponent's Environmental Assessment (PEA)

As part of its application to the CPUC, SCE prepared and submitted a Proponent's Environmental Assessment (PEA) to the CPUC in December 2004. The PEA describes the proposed project, existing environmental conditions in the project area, and potential environmental impacts. The December 2004 PEA may be viewed here.

Project Notices and Scoping

On June 24, 2005, the CPUC issued a Notice of Preparation of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed Project. In addition, the Forest Service published a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Project. The CPUC and the USDA Forest Service have agreed to prepare a joint EIR/EIS for the proposed Project, in order to jointly satisfy the requirements of CEQA and NEPA.

The CPUC and the USDA Forest Service held two Public Scoping Meetings to solicit input from the public on potential impacts of the proposed Project that should be addressed in the Draft EIR/EIS. These meetings were held on Wednesday, June 29th, and Thursday, July 14th of 2005 in Lancaster and Santa Clarita, respectively.

For Additional Information

The CPUC and the USDA Forest Service, through their Environmental Review Team, are conducting an environmental review of this project. To request additional information or to be added to the mailing list, please contact us by e-mail, fax, or phone, as follows: