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Welcome to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) web
site for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review
of Pacific Gas and Electric's (PG&E's) proposed Cressey-Gallo
115 kV Power Line Project. An application for this project was submitted
to the CPUC on November 30, 2011 (A.11-11-020) This site provides
access to public documents and information relevant to the CEQA
review process..
Background
In its 2011 application, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)
proposed to construct the Cressey-Gallo 115 Kilovolt (kV) Power
Line Project, a new, approximately 14.4-mile-long, single-circuit
power line needed to improve transmission system reliability for
customers in north-central Merced County, California.
The project consists of constructing a new 115 kV power line between
Cressey and Gallo substations to form a power line loop with two
other area substations (Livingston and Atwater). The new transmission
loop will allow power to flow from another direction when there
is an outage on a line feeding the loop, avoiding customer service
interruptions from single-line outages in this area. As proposed
by PG&E, the project includes:
- Constructing a new, approximately 14.4-mile, single-circuit
115 kV power line interconnecting Cressey Substation and Gallo
Substation.
- Upgrading the bus configurations at Cressey Substation and replacing
the existing radial power line transition into the substation
within the existing substation property.
- Expanding Gallo Substation to add switchgear and upgrade the
bus configurations.
The project is located in the San Joaquin Valley in Merced County
near the City of Livingston, California. The project route is oriented
primarily east to-west between Cressey Substation and Gallo Substation,
intersecting with State Route 99 south of the City of Livingston.
The project will connect Cressey Substation (located at the southeast
corner of West Lane and Meadow Drive, approximately 2 miles east
of the community of Cressey) to an expanded Gallo Substation (located
on the property of the Gallo Winery facility at 18000 River Road,
approximately 4 miles west of the City of Livingston).
CPUC Application Review and Approval
The PG&E Cressey-Gallo 1150 kV Power Line Project was
evaluated in accordance with the California Environmental Quality
Act (CEQA). A Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) was prepared
to inform the CPUC and public of the potential project impacts and
available mitigation (information on the MND preparation is provided
below). The CPUC voted on January 16, 2014 to approve the PG&E
Cressey-Gallo 115 kV Transmission Project and Final MND (Decision
D.14-01-003) and a Notice of Determination was submitted to the
State Clearinghouse (SCH #2013021061). The mitigation measures and
applicant-proposed measures (APMs) described in the Final MND were
adopted by the CPUC as conditions of project approvals.
Construction and Mitigation
Monitoring
Mitigation Monitoring, Compliance, and Reporting
Plan
Following CPUC approval, a Mitigation Monitoring, Compliance, and
Reporting Plan (MMCRP) was prepared to ensure compliance with APMs
and mitigation measures approved in the Final MND. The MMCRP provides
guidelines and standardize procedures for environmental compliance
during project implementation. The procedures were developed in
coordination with PG&E and CPUC and describe the reporting relationships,
the roles and responsibilities of the project's environmental compliance
team members, compliance reporting procedures, and the communication
protocol.
The MMCRP can be viewed here (5.2MB).
Notices to Proceed with Construction
As defined by the MMCRP, CPUC must issue a Notice-to-Proceed (NTP)
before construction can start. PG&E will submit a formal request
for an NTP. On projects where there may be multiple work packages
or work sites, PG&E may elect to request separate NTPs. Each
separate NTP request will be applicable to a defined segment or
aspect of the Project. CPUC will review the NTP request and the
applicable pre-construction requirements to ensure that all of the
information required to process and approve the NTP is included.
CPUC may request additional information or clarification as needed.
Based on information provided in the request for an NTP and its
review, CPUC will issue the NTP. NTPs issued by CPUC to date for
the Cressey-Gallo Project are provided in the table below.
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Notices to Proceed
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Date Requested
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Date Issued
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Description
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#1
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09/12/14
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Installation and removal of the shoo-fly, expansion
work at the Gallo Substation, construction of the single and
double circuit 115 kV pole lines on the Gallo Property, and
modification work at the Cressey Substation. |
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#2
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12/11/14
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Installation of remaining TSPs, construction of
the re-route area north of Livingston Canal, construction of
single circuit 115 kV pole lines within ½ mile buffers
for Swainson’s hawk nesting areas east of Howard Street, and
pulling of conductor. |
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#3
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03/09/15
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Installation of the remaining portions of the Project,
including construction of single circuit 115 kV pole lines and
pulling of conductor. |
Construction began in November 2014. Weekly reports documenting
construction and compliance activities can be viewed here.
Minor Project Changes
As defined by the MMCRP, at various times throughout project construction,
minor changes to the project, such as the need for additional or
revised workspace, are anticipated and common practice for construction
efforts of this scale and a Minor Project Change request would be
required for such activities. The CPUC Project Manager, along with
the CPUC EMs, will implement the Minor Project Change procedures
defined in the MMCRP to evaluate each proposed project change for
its potential for creating significant environmental effects to
determine whether supplemental CEQA review is required. Minor Project
Changes processed to date are provided in the table below.
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Minor Project Changes
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Date Requested
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Date Issued
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Description
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#1
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10/01/14
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Use of an existing alternative staging
area 75 feet west of the proposed Staging Area 001 located southeast
of the Gallo Substation |
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#2
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01/22/16
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(1) Allow for a temporary fence around
the project staging area to remain permanently, per the request
of the Gallo Winery, and (2) allow for 3 existing wooden power
line poles to remain in place, to be used by an orchard as owl
box posts. |
Environmental Review Process
PG&E filed a Proponent's Environmental
Assessment (PEA) with the Application in November 2011. The
PEA provides a starting point for the independent environmental
review process conducted by the CPUC.
PG&E's Application and PEA were deemed complete for review
by the CPUC on December 21, 2011.
Mitigated Negative Declaration Preparation
On February 27, 2013, the CPUC released a Notice of Intent
to Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Cressey-Gallo
115 kV power Line Project showing that the Proposed Project, as
mitigated, would not have any significant effects on the environment.
The Draft IS/MND underwent a public review period from February 27,
2013, through March 29, 2013.
On June 7, 2013, the CPUC released a Final Mitigated Negative Declaration
for the Cressey-Gallo 115 kV Power Line Project, showing that the
Proposed Project, as mitigated, would not have any significant effects
on the environment. The Final MND details the Proposed Project,
evaluates and describes its potential environmental impacts, identifies
those impacts that could be significant, and presents mitigation
measures to avoid or minimize these impacts. The Final IS/MND can
be viewed here.
For Additional Information
The CPUC, through its Environmental Review Team, is conducting
an environmental review of the project. To request additional information,
ask a question, or be added to the project mailing list, please
contact:
| Voicemail
or Fax |
(209) 812-1952 |
| U.S.
Mail or Courier |
Billie Blanchard
California Public Utilities Commission
c/o Aspen Environmental Group
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 935
San Francisco CA 94104-3002 |
| Email |
cresseygallo@aspeneg.com |
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