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Welcome to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) website
for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review of Southern
California Edison's (SCE's) proposed Banducci Substation Project
(Proposed Project). An Application for this project was submitted
to the CPUC on November 15, 2012. The CPUC approved the Proposed
Project and granted SCE a Permit to Construct (PTC) on June 11,
2015. This website provides access to public documents and information
relevant to the CEQA review process and construction monitoring
for the Proposed Project.
Application A.12-11-011
Decision D.15-06-009
PROJECT STATUS
The Final MND was adopted by the CPUC on June 11, 2015 in Decision
D.15-06-009. In accordance with CEQA, a Mitigation Monitoring, Compliance,
and Reporting Plan (MMCRP) was prepared to ensure compliance with
the mitigation measures approved in the MND. The MMCRP is available
here. SCE started construction of the Banducci
Substation Project on July 26, 2017.
Pre-construction Compliance and
Notices to Proceed
Notices to Proceed (NTPs) are being issued by CPUC by subsection
of the project as requested by SCE. Issuance of NTPs is contingent
upon SCE's compliance with pre-construction requirements as specified
by the approved mitigation measures and responsible agency permitting
requirements. Table 1 summarizes the Banducci Substation Projects
NTPs and their status.
Table 1. Notices to Proceed (NTPs)
|
|
NTP No.
|
Date
Requested
|
Date Issued
|
Phase |
Description |
|
NTP #1
|
11/22/16
|
|
Banducci Substation and Subtransmission |
Construction of the Banducci Substation
and the associated 69 kV subtransmission features located on
Pelliser Road near the town of Tehachapi. |
|
NTP #2
|
07/31/17
|
|
Telecommunications |
Telecommunications related components
of the Banducci Substation (see MPC #1, Table 2). |
|
NTP #3
|
02/07/17
|
|
12 kV Distribution Getaways and a Portion
of the Telecommunication Route #1 |
Construction of the distribution getaways
and a portion of Telecommunication Route #1 along Pelliser
and Highline Roads. |
Other responsible agency permits required for construction, and
their amendments, are listed in the MMCRP (see above). Major compliance
plans requiring CPUC and/or permit agency review and approval included
the following:
- Preconstruction Survey Reports
- Salvage and Relocation Plan, if special-status plants can not
be avoided.
- Habitat Restoration Plan for Tehachapi Slender Salamander, if
occupied habitat is directly impacted
- Nesting Bird Management Plan
- Ecological Restoration Plan / Compensation Plan, if avoidance
is not feasible
- Jurisdictional Delineation Reports
- Cultural Resources Treatment Plan
- Paleontological Resources Management Plan
- Geotechnical Report
- Fire Management Plan
- Restoration Plans as necessary
- Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPPs)
- Worker Environmental Awareness Program Plans
Construction Monitoring and Minor
Project Change Review
CPUC Environmental Monitors are monitoring construction activities
to ensure that construction is conducted in accordance with the
approved mitigation measures and permit conditions. Monitoring reports
documenting construction and monitoring activities are available
here.
As final engineering is completed or as construction necessitates,
Minor Project Changes (MPCs) are being submitted by SCE for the
Project. Each of these requests is reviewed by CPUC to ensure that
no new impacts or increase in impact severity would result from
the requested change. Table 2 provides a summary of the MPCs
submitted for the Banducci Substation Project.
Table 2. Minor Project Changes (MPCs)
|
| MPC No. |
Date
Requested
|
Date Issued
|
Phase |
Description |
|
MPC #1
|
07/31/17
|
|
Telecom |
Changes to Telecommunication Routes #1
and #2 (see NTP #2, Table 1). |
|
MPC #2
|
08/09/17
|
|
12 kV |
Relocation of 12 kV distribution
infrastructure to avoid an existing, unmarked utility. |
|
MPC #3
|
08/21/17
|
|
Substation |
Extend use of water source for duration
of project (originally approved under a TEWS). |
|
MPC #4
|
11/06/17
|
|
Telecom |
Change to Telecommunication Route #2. |
|
MPC #5
|
03/06/18
|
|
Substation |
Adjustments to Substation level of
disturbance and GIS changes to reflect final build. |
BACKGROUND
Project Description
The proposed Banducci Substation Project includes the following
components:
- Construction of a new Banducci 66/12 kilovolt (kV) Substation.
Banducci Substation would be an unstaffed, automated, 56.0 megavolt-ampere
(MVA), low-profile substation with a potential capacity of 112
MVA at final buildout. The proposed 66/12 kV distribution substation
would be located on an approximately 6.3 acre parcel in the unincorporated
Cummings Valley area of Kern County.
- Construction of two new 66 kV subtransmission line segments
that would loop the existing Correction-Cummings‒Kern River
1 66 kV Subtransmission Line: one that would enter and one that
would exit the proposed Banducci Substation creating the new Banducci‒Kern
River 1 66 kV Subtransmission Line and the new Banducci-Correction-Cummings
66 kV Subtransmission Line.
- Construction of three new underground 12 kV distribution getaways.
- Installation of telecommunications facilities to connect the
proposed Banducci Substation to SCE's existing telecommunications
system.
The Banducci Substation site is located at the southeast corner of
Pelliser Road and unimproved Dale Road in unincorporated Cummings
Valley, Kern County. The subtransmission line upgrades would occur
on new and replacement poles along Pelisse Road in close proximity
to the substation. Telecommunications upgrades would include installation
of fiber optic cable within existing SCE rights-of-way, overhead on
existing and replacement poles and underground in new conduit. A total
of approximately 32 miles of fiber optic cable would be installed
between the proposed Banducci Substation and the existing Cummings
and Monolith Substations, both near the City of Tehachapi, Kern County.
Construction would last approximately 12 months. SCE states that the
Proposed Project is needed to serve increased electrical demand and
to address reliability and operational flexibility issues in the Electrical
Needs Area. In accordance with the CPUC's General Order 131 D, approval
of this project must comply with CEQA.
Environmental
Review Process
SCE filed its original Proponent's Environmental Assessment (PEA)
with the Application on November 15, 2012. The PEA provided a starting
point for the environmental review process that is to be conducted
by the CPUC. After reviewing the 2012 PEA, CPUC directed SCE to
supplement and submit additional information. A number of requests
and responses ensued, culminating in SCE submitting an amended PEA
dated June 6, 2014.
Original Proponent's Environmental Assessment
2012 (superseded)
Amended Proponent's Environmental Assessment
2014
Original (2012)
PEA Review
SCE's Application and original PEA were reviewed by the CPUC. The
Energy Division sent a letter to SCE on December 17, 2012,
indicating that the submitted PEA for the Banducci Substation required
supplementation and resubmission.
PEA Completeness Letter
#1
SCE subsequently submitted supplemental information to the CPUC
on February 5, 2013.
Supplemental PEA Information
#1
The Energy Division sent a letter to SCE on February 25, 2013,
indicating that the PEA for the Banducci Substation requires further
supplementation and resubmission.
PEA Completeness Letter
#2
In response, SCE submitted additional supplemental information
to the CPUC on April 19, 2013.
Supplemental PEA Information
#2
After reviewing the supplemental information, the Energy Division
sent a letter to SCE on May 8, 2013, indicating that the PEA
for the Banducci Substation again requires further supplementation
and resubmission.
PEA Completeness Letter
#3
In response, SCE submitted additional supplemental information
to the CPUC on June 3, 2013:
Response to Question #1,
Right-of-Way Description and Land Rights Definitions
Response
to Question #2, Soil Types GIS Data (.zip file; right-click
to download)
Response
to Question #3, Vegetation GIS Data (.zip file; right-click
to download)
Response to Question
#4, Cultural Resources Survey Description (PDF)
Revised
Mapping Suite of Data Package (.mpk file; right-click to
download)
After reviewing all supplemental information, the Energy Division
sent a letter to SCE on July 2, 2013, indicating that SCE has
submitted all necessary information at this time. However, in order
to deem the PEA complete, the CPUC requested that SCE re-file the
PEA in its entirety in the format consistent with the CPUC's PEA
Checklist for Transmission Line Projects (2008).
PEA Completeness Letter
#4
Amended (2014)
PEA Review
The requested Amended PEA was submitted in June 2014.
Amended PEA 2014
After a completeness review of the amended PEA, the CPUC deemed
SCE's Application and PEA complete on July 15, 2014.
PEA Completeness Letter
#5
Mitigated Negative
Declaration Preparation
On November 14, 2014, the CPUC released a Notice of Intent to Adopt
a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for the Banducci Substation
Project, showing that the Proposed Project, as mitigated, would
not have any significant effects on the environment.
Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative
Declaration (IS/MND)
The Proposed IS/MND was made available for public review and comment
from November 14, 2014, through December 15, 2014.
In order to help affected communities understand the Proposed Project
and the Proposed IS/MND and to explain how the public can participate
in the CPUC's decision-making process, the CPUC held an informational
meeting on December 11, 2014, at the Tehachapi Police Department,
Community Room.
On March 10, 2015, the CPUC released a Final Mitigated Negative
Declaration, showing that the Banducci Substation Project, as mitigated,
would not have any significant effects on the environment. The Final
IS/MND details the Proposed Project, evaluates and describes its
potential environmental impacts, identifies those impacts that could
be potentially significant, and presents mitigation measures to
avoid or minimize these impacts.
Final Initial Study/Mitigated Negative
Declaration (IS/MND)
For Additional
Information
To request additional information, please contact the CPUC, as
follows:
Jensen Uchida, CPUC Project Manager
c/o Aspen Environmental Group
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 935
San Francisco CA 94104
Email: banduccisubstation@aspeneg.com |
