STATE OF CALIFORNIA
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

San Diego Gas & Electric's Proposed
Ocean Ranch Substation Project

(Application A.16-07-016, filed July 27, 2016)

Welcome to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) website for San Diego Gas & Electric's (SDG&E's) Ocean Ranch Substation Project. SDG&E submitted an application for a Permit to Construct (PTC) to construct the Ocean Ranch Substation Project on July 27, 2016. SDG&E filed its Proponent's Environmental Assessment (PEA) for the project on this date as well.

The substation project was approved under the CPUC's decision D.17-09-029, issued October 2, 2017.

This website provides access to public documents and information relevant to the review of the Ocean Ranch Substation Project by the CPUC, which is Lead Agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

PROJECT STATUS

The Final MND was adopted by the CPUC on October 2, 2017 in Decision D.17-09-029. 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 (8.0MB). SDG&E started construction of the Ocean Ranch Substation Project on January 22, 2018 and the substation was energized in early July 2019.

Pre-construction Compliance and Notices to Proceed

Notice to Proceed (NTP) #1 was issued by CPUC on December 21, 2017, for the entirety of the project as requested by SDG&E and is available here. The start of construction was contingent upon SDG&E's compliance with pre-construction requirements as specified by NTP #1, the approved mitigation measures, and responsible agency permitting requirements.

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:

• Pre-construction Survey Reports
• Contractor Education Program
• Paleontological Resource Monitoring Program
• Blasting Plan(s), if required
• Construction Traffic Control Plan.

Construction Monitoring and Minor Project Change Review

Construction of the Ocean Ranch Substation Project started in January 2018, with full energization occurring the first week of July 2019. Landscaping and 12 kV distribution work were completed by the end of the 2019. Telecommunication upgrades will be completed Quarter 1 2020. A CPUC Environmental Monitor monitored construction activities to ensure that construction was conducted in accordance with the approved mitigation measures and permit conditions. Monitoring reports documenting construction and monitoring activities are available here.

As final engineering was completed or as construction necessitated, Minor Project Changes (MPCs) were submitted for the Project, which were reviewed by CPUC to ensure that no new impacts or increase in impact severity would result from the requested change. MPC #1 for the installation of a wrought iron fence and gates at the entrance to the substation and transitioning the existing temporary 6-foot-tall perimeter chain-link fence from temporary to permanent was approved by CPUC on September 12, 2019.

BACKGROUND

The Ocean Ranch Substation Project is located on vacant land in the Rancho del Oro Planned Development district in Oceanside, San Diego County, California. The substation is designed to accommodate anticipated growth in electrical demand and to enhance system reliability by taking some of the electrical load from San Luis Rey and Melrose substations, which are fully built out and near capacity. A summary of the Proposed Project is provided below.

• Constructed a new low-profile 69/12 kV Ocean Ranch Substation on 9.66 acres of SDG&E-owned property on Avenida del Oro north of Avenida de la Plata in Oceanside, San Diego County.
  
  
• Looped an existing San Luis Rey to Melrose 69 kV transmission line (TL6966) into the new substation and installed four 12 kV circuits extending from the substation to nearby existing distribution lines. (The 69 kV line and the 12 kV distribution lines would be underground in the project area. These underground lines would be placed within the franchise portion of Oceanside's public streets.)
  
  
• Installed a tubular steel pole and microwave antenna within the substation property for communication with San Luis Rey Substation.
  
  
• Construction work included: preparing the site; erecting a perimeter wall with gates around the site; installing paving and foundations; installing electrical and communications equipment, duct banks, and conductors; constructing a control building; install stormwater and spill control facilities; and install landscaping.

Application

• Application of San Diego Gas & Electric Company (U-902-E) for a Permit to Construct the Ocean Ranch Substation Project

Proponent's Environmental Assessment

SDG&E’s Proponent’s Environmental Assessment (PEA) was submitted to CPUC on July 27, 2016. SDG&E's application was reviewed for completeness. On August 26, 2016, the application was deemed deficient and additional information was requested. Upon receiving the requested information, a second completeness review was completed. The application was deemed complete for review on October 6, 2016.

Environmental Review Process

Data Requests. During the preparation of IS/MND, the CPUC identified information items needed for the analysis and submitted data requests to SDG&E. Copies of each request and the responses are provided here.

CEQA Document. The CPUC drafted an Initial Study (IS) and Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for the Proposed Project. The Draft IS/MND and a Notice of Intent to Adopt an MND were published on March 15, 2017 and the public review and comment period on the IS/MND extended through April 13, 2017.

A public informational meeting was held on April 5, 2017 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Residence Inn San Diego Oceanside.

Two comment letters were received regarding the IS/MND. Following the review period, all were considered and addressed in the Final IS/MND including minor edits, copies of the comment letters, and responses to comments. The CEQA document was considered by the Commission during its decision process.

For Additional Information

To request additional information, please contact the CPUC, as follows:

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