STATE OF CALIFORNIA
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

Southern California Edison's
Ivanpah-Control Project

Application A.19-07-015, filed July 17, 2019

These files are in Portable Document Format (PDF). To view them, you will need to download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader if it is not already installed on your PC. Note: For best results in displaying the largest files (see sizes shown in parentheses below for files larger than 5.0MB), right-click the file's link, click "Save Target As" to download the file to a folder on your hard drive, then browse to that folder and double-click the downloaded file to open it in Acrobat.
 

Welcome to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) website for the environmental review of Southern California Edison's (SCE's) Ivanpah-Control Project (I-C Project). The project is located in incorporated and unincorporated portions of San Bernardino, Kern, and Inyo Counties, California; a map is provided here. SCE submitted a Permit to Construct (PTC) application for the Project to the CPUC on July 17, 2019 (Application A.19-07-015).

The Proposed Project will be reviewed under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The CPUC is the CEQA lead agency and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will be preparing a separate environmental document as the NEPA lead agency.

This website provides access to public documents and information relevant to the CEQA environmental review processes. An overview of the proposed Project is provided below.

For additional information on the CPUC proceeding, contact the Public Advisor's Office.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT

According to SCE, the Project is needed in order to meet the transmission line safety and reliability requirements defined by the CPUC and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation. The Project would involve the demolition and replacement of some or all of SCE's existing 115 kV transmission lines between the Ivanpah and Control Substations.

SCE anticipates that the I-C Project will be operational by June 2025, with construction occurring between April 2022 and October 2024.

SCE has proposed a "Full-Rebuild Concept" and an alternative with a smaller scope. Alternatives analyzed in the EIR will be formally defined after the Scoping process. The "Full-Rebuild Concept" consists of the following major components:

  • Subtransmission. Rebuild 358 miles of existing 115 kV subtransmission circuits by:
    • Removing existing subtransmission towers and poles and replacing them with tubular steel poles (TSPs), lightweight steel (LWS) poles, LWS pole H-frames, and multi-pole TSP and LWS pole structures.
    • Removing existing conductor and installing new Aluminum Conductor Composite Core (ACCC) 'Dove' conductor on replacement structures.
    • Installing overhead groundwire (OHGW) in some locations for system protection.

  • Distribution
    • Remove existing distribution conductor and appurtenances and install new distribution conductor and appurtenances on replacement structures.

  • Telecommunications/System Protection
    • Install approximately 360 miles of optical groundwire (OPGW) and/or All-Dielectric Self-Supporting (ADSS) fiber optic cable overhead on replacement structures and new structures.
    • Install approximately 2,500 feet of fiber optic cable underground within existing substations, and approximately 5,000 feet underground outside of existing substations.
    • Install system protection and telecommunications-associated equipment at existing substations.

  • Substations
    • Disconnect existing conductor from existing positions at substations and connect new conductor to those existing positions.
    • Install new OHGW and make minor modifications to the existing racks to accommodate the new OHGW.
    • Install cabling between existing breakers to the existing mechanical electrical equipment room and install new relay and protection racks in the existing communication room.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW

Proponent's Environmental Assessment (PEA) and Application

SCE filed an application and PEA for the I-C Project on July 17, 2019.

The CPUC is conducting a completeness/deficiency review of the application and PEA. This review will result in the definition of PEA deficiency items that will be detailed in a letter to SCE.

Environmental Review

The environmental review process for the I-C Project has not yet started. Each step will be documented on this website. The next steps will involve:

  • Writing and distributing a Notice of Preparation
  • Holding public scoping meetings and meeting with local agencies
  • Preparing a Scoping Report
  • Preparing a Draft EIR

COMMENTS & QUESTIONS

If you have comments, complaints, or questions regarding the project, please contact us using the CPUC's I-C Project e-mail or voicemail, as follows:

Project e-mail: Ivanpah-Control@aspeneg.com
Project voicemail: 800-535-2572

The CPUC's Project Manager is:
Billie Blanchard, CPUC Project Manager
California Public Utilities Commission
c/o Aspen Environmental Group
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 640
San Francisco, CA 94104-2920

This page contains tables and is best viewed with Firefox or Internet Explorer. Please report any problems to the Energy Division web coordinator.
   
 
Project Home Page - CPUC Environmental Information - CPUC Home