San Diego Gas & Electric – South Bay Substation Relocation Project

Welcome to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) website for the environmental review of the proposed construction of the San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) South Bay Substation Relocation Project located in the City of Chula Vista, California, in the southwesterly portion of San Diego County, California. SDG&E submitted an application to the CPUC on June 16, 2010 (Application A.10-06-007). The proposed project is subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). This site provides access to public documents and information relevant to the CEQA review processes.

Background

SDG&E filed an application for a Permit to Construct the South Bay Substation Relocation Project with CPUC. The CPUC, as lead agency under California law, will prepare an environmental impact report (EIR) to comply with CEQA.

The South Bay Substation Relocation Project, as proposed by SDG&E, includes the following major components:

• Construction of a 230/69/12-kilovolt (kV) substation (Bay Boulevard Substation) in the City of Chula Vista
• Construction of a 230 kV loop-in, an approximately 1,000-foot-long underground interconnection and an approximately 300-foot-long overhead interconnection of the existing 230 kV tie-line, located east of the proposed Bay Boulevard Substation
• Relocation of six 69 kV transmission lines and associated communication cables to the proposed Bay Boulevard Substation, requiring the relocation of approximately 7,500 feet of overhead line and the construction of approximately 4,100 feet of underground line
• A 138 kV extension of an approximately 3,800-foot underground and approximately 200-foot overhead span from one new steel cable pole to an existing steel lattice structure
• Demolition of the existing 138/69 kV South Bay Substation

The Proposed Project would be located in the City of Chula Vista, California, in the southwesterly portion of San Diego County (see Regional Map). The Proposed Project primarily involves relocation of the existing South Bay Substation to a new site approximately 0.5 mile south. The existing South Bay Substation would be relocated to the proposed Bay Boulevard Substation site, which is situated approximately 2 miles south of the City of National City, approximately 5 miles northeast of the City of Imperial Beach, and approximately 7 miles southeast of downtown San Diego (see Project Location Map).

The South Bay Substation is an aging 138/69 kV substation that was originally built to accommodate the adjacent South Bay Power Plant (SBPP) in the City of Chula Vista. The South Bay Substation was originally constructed in 1961 and consists of equipment that was not built to modern seismic standards. The existing 138 kV bus is undersized for current transmission system conditions. The 69 kV bus is also configured in such a way that overloads of the 69 kV transmission line occur in the South Bay region caused by 69 kV bus outages at the South Bay Substation.

With the potential retirement of the SBPP, a replacement bulk power source is being proposed to connect to the existing 230 kV transmission lines in the area (Otay Metro Power Loop (OMPL) Project (formerly referred to as the Otay Mesa Power Purchase Agreement Project)).

In October 2004, SDG&E and the City of Chula Vista entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding several energy issues (see MOU). One of the objectives of the City of Chula Vista in the MOU was the relocation of the existing South Bay Substation after the retirement of the SBPP. SDG&E’s projected schedule is to have the Bay Boulevard Substation energized and transmission line connections completed, so that decommissioning and demolition of the existing South Bay Substation can occur after the potential retirement of the SBPP.

Notice of Preparation / Notice of Public Scoping Meeting for an Environmental Impact Report (EIR)

Notice is hereby given that the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUS), as lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), will prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed South Bay Substation Relocation Project (Proposed Project).

The Notice of Preparation is available for review here.

Public Scoping Meeting

CPUC will conduct a public scoping meeting in the City of Chula Vista, shown as follows:

Date:	Monday, August 1, 2011
Location:	Chula Vista Civic Center Council Chambers 430 F Street, Chula Vista, California
Time:	6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The purpose of this meeting is to present information about the Proposed Project and the CPUC's decision-making process, and to listen to public views on the range of issues relevant to preparation of the draft EIR.  At the public meeting, the environmental team and CPUC staff will be available to respond to questions and discus the environmental document that is under preparation.

The public informational meeting presentation is available here.

Parking Notice - Due to limited parking at the Civic Center complex, please park in the Third Avenue parking garage located at Third Avenue and F Street.  Free parking is available all day on the top level.  Please do not park in the library parking lot; police will issue tickets to those parked more than 2 hours in the library parking lot.

Scoping Comments

At this time, the CPUC is soliciting information regarding the topics and alternatives that should be included in the EIR. All comments must be postmarked by August 15, 2011. You may submit comments in a variety of ways: (1) by mail, (2) by fax (fax no 800.930.8275), or (3) by email (southbaysub@dudek.com).

If you send comments by mail, please use first class mail and be sure to include your name and return address.  Please send written comments on the scope of the EIR to:

Jensen Uchida

California Public Utilities Commission

c/o Dudek

605 Third Street

Encinitas, California  92024

Application and Proponent’s Environmental Assessment (PEA)

Click the following links to view the application and PEA for the South Bay Substation Relocation Project.

Cover
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 – PEA Summary
Chapter 2 – Project Purpose and Need
Chapter 3 – Project Description
Chapter 4 – Environmental Impact Assessment
Chapter 4.1 – Aesthetics
Chapter 4.2 – Agricultural Resources
Chapter 4.3 – Air Quality
Chapter 4.4 – Biological Resources
Chapter 4.5 – Cultural Resources
Chapter 4.6 – Geology, Soils and Mineral Resources
Chapter 4.6 – Geotechnical Report
Chapter 4.7 – Hazards and Hazardous Materials
Chapter 4.8 – Hydrology and Water Quality
Chapter 4.9 – Land Use and Planning
Chapter 4.10 – Noise
Chapter 4.11 – Population and Housing
Chapter 4.12 – Public Services
Chapter 4.13 – Recreation
Chapter 4.14 – Transportation and Traffic
Chapter 4.15 – Utilities and Service Systems
Chapter 4.16 – Cumulative Analysis
Chapter 5.0 – Significant Impacts

The CPUC sent SDG&E a deficiency letter on July 14, 2010, that requested additional information from SDG&E to satisfy CPUC’s Information and Criteria List. Click the following link to view the letter.

First Deficiency Letter (July 14, 2010)

First Deficiency Letter Response (August 16, 2010)

First Deficiency Letter Response (August 24, 2010)

First Deficiency Letter Response (August 27, 2010)

Application deemed complete on September 8, 2010. Letter can be viewed here.

Environmental Impact Report (EIR)

Draft EIR

The Draft EIR will be published here, when available.

Final EIR

The Final EIR will be published here, when available.

Commission Decision

The commission’s decision will be posted here when available.

Construction Progress and Mitigation Monitoring

Reports issued by the CPUC, reports on construction progress, and reports issued as part of the Mitigation Monitoring Program will be published here, when available.

For Additional Information

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

Project email: southbaysub@dudek.com
Project fax and voicemail: (800) 930-8275

The CPUC's project manager is:

Jensen Uchida, CPUC Project Manager
California Public Utilities Commission
505 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco CA 94102
Tel. (415) 703-5484
Fax (415) 703-2200

 

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