STATE OF CALIFORNIA
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

Introduction and Background

Welcome to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) web page for the environmental review of Southern California Edison’s (SCE) proposed Control-Silver Peak Project (the “Proposed Project”). The CPUC is the lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for the Proposed Project, and is therefore responsible for evaluating the Proposed Project’s potential environmental impacts.

In 2006, SCE identified that the clearances along some of its circuits were not compliant with the clearances required by CPUC GO 95 (Rules For Overhead Electric Line Construction) due to the installation of additional infrastructure under SCE lines over time. This information was communicated to both the CPUC and the California Independent System Operator (CAISO). The Applicant submitted to CPUC a Pre-Filing Environmental Assessment in September 2019, in anticipation of a future formal application filing for a Permit to Construct (PTC) with the CPUC. SCE formally submitted a PTC application on August 13, 2021 (A.21-08-009), as specified in CPUC General Order (G.O.) 131-D. The PTC application, Preliminary Environmental Assessment (PEA), and related project documents are available under the “Project Links and Documents” heading below. CPUC is currently reviewing the PEA and supporting materials for completeness. The Proposed Project will be subject to CEQA environmental review. Because portions of the Proposed Project alignment are located within the Inyo National Forest managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (USFS) and other lands managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Proposed Project will also be subject to review under the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA).

Additional information on the Proposed Project and the CPUC’s environmental review process are provided below.

Project Links & Documents

• CPUC Proceeding No. A-21-08-009
• SCE PTC Application
• SCE Proponent Environmental Assessment (PEA), dated August 2021

PEA Deficiency Letters, CPUC Data Request, and Applicant Responses

Project Objectives

Applicants' Stated Objectives

The objectives of the Proposed Project, as stated by the Applicant in their PEA, are as follows:

• Ensure compliance with standards contained in CPUC GO 95 and North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) Facility Ratings while also maintaining reliable service to customers served by the subject lines, substations, and metering stations.
• Remediate clearance discrepancies along two existing 55 kV subtransmission lines in order to comply with the standards contained in GO 95 Rule 37, Minimum Clearances of Wires above Railroads, Thoroughfares, Buildings, Etc., Table 1; Rule 38, Minimum Clearances of Wires from Other Wires, Table 2; and Rule 39, Minimum Clearance of Wires from Signs.

Proposed Project

Project Description

SCE proposes to rebuild two 55 kV single-circuit pole lines as a double-circuit pole line and to selectively replace or modify existing subtransmission structures along other portions of these existing subtransmission lines.
The locations where specific work would occur is detailed are below.
Segment 1: Segment 1 of the Proposed Project is located west of the City of Bishop. Segment 1 is 3.4 miles in length. There are two single-circuit pole lines in Segment 1. In Segment 1, the existing overhead groundwire (OHGW) that is installed on existing poles along one of the two pole lines found in Segment 1 would be removed and optical groundwire (OPGW) would be installed on those existing poles.
Segment 2: Segment 2 of the Proposed Project is located northwest of the City of Bishop. Two existing single-circuit pole lines are located in Segment 2. The existing poles and conductor would be removed, and new poles and conductor would be installed along the 1.4-mile length of Segment 2. OPGW would be installed on new poles along one of the pole lines, and OHGW would be installed on new poles along the other pole line.
Segment 3: Segment 3 runs for approximately 37 miles from northwest of the City of Bishop to the California-Nevada border. Two existing single-circuit pole lines are located in Segment 3; the Proposed Project would result in removal of one of the pole lines and conversion of the remaining pole line from a single-circuit configuration to a double-circuit configuration. The existing poles and conductor would be removed, and new double-circuit poles and conductor would be installed along the length of Segment 3. OPGW would be installed on new poles.
Segment 4: Segment 4 is located in the Chalfant Valley between the City of Bishop and the community of Hammil. InSegment 4, two existing poles would be removed and two replacement poles would be installed. Theexisting conductor attached to the poles would be transferred to the replacement poles. Insulators andother hardware on adjoining poles may be replaced or modified to accommodate the taller replacementpoles.
Segment 5: Segment 5 is located in the Deep Springs Valley. In Segment 5, nine existing poles would be removed and nine replacement poles would be installed. The existing conductor attached to the poles would be transferred to the replacement poles. Insulators and other hardware on adjoining poles may be replaced or modified to accommodate the taller replacement poles.

Project Location

The Proposed Project would be located within unincorporated Inyo County and unincorporated Mono County; an overview map of the Proposed Project alignment is provided here. The Project vicinity is within eastern California and is part of a region that extends from the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada to the Colorado Plateau. This region is characterized by abrupt changes in topography, with steep, relatively narrow mountain chains, generally oriented on a north-south axis, that are separated by flat, arid alluvial valleys. Topography in the Proposed Project area extends from the Owens Valley on the west to Fish Lake Valley on the east and is dominated by the intervening White Mountains. Elevations in the Proposed Project area range from approximately 4,200 feet in the valley bottoms to over 10,000 feet above mean sea level (ft amsl) at its high point. Land uses in the Proposed Project area are a mixture of rural residential development, residential and commercial land uses in the vicinity of the City of Bishop, irrigated agriculture and associated residences in Fish Lake Valley and an institutional use (Deep Springs College). Portions of the Proposed Project alignment are located within the Inyo National Forest and on BLM desert lands.

Environmental Review

Overview

Once the CPUC has deemed A.21-08-009 as complete the Proposed Project will be subject to environmental review under the CEQA process. The CPUC environmental review process is anticipated to be performed generally in parallel with the federal NEPA review process. The CEQA environmental review process schedule is anticipated to extend from late-2021 until late 2023.

For Additional Information

The CPUC's Environmental Review Team is managing the environmental evaluation of the Proposed Project. To request additional information or to be added to the mailing list, please contact us by email, fax, or phone at:

The CPUC's project manager for the Proposed Project is:

Eric Chiang
Energy Division
Infrastructure Permitting and CEQA
505 Van Ness Avenuel, 4th Flr.
San Francisco, CA 94102