Welcome to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) website for the environmental review of the Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project (TRTP) in Kern, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino counties. Southern California Edison (SCE) submitted an application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) for this project to the CPUC on June 29, 2007. SCE also submitted an application for a Special Use authorization to the USDA Forest Service. The project is subject to review under both the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This site provides access to public documents and information relevant to the CEQA and NEPA review processes.

The CPUC issued a Proposed Decision for this project on November 3, 2009. The CPUC certified the Final EIR on December 17, 2009 and subsequently issued Decision 09-12-044 approving the project. You can read the press release on the Decision here . The Notice of Determination was submitted to the State Clearinghouse on December 17, 2009 (received December 21, 2009).

The USDA Forest Service prepared a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to assess impacts related to the Station Fire and various project changes affecting National Forest System (NFS) lands (see description below).The Forest Service subsequently prepared a Final EIS for the Project. Following release of the Final EIS, the Forest Service will issue a Record of Decision (ROD) to document the decision to either approve or deny the requested Special Use authorization for the Project.

Public documents related to the TRTP CEQA and NEPA review process are available on this website.

Final EIS

The Final EIS for the TRTP was released by the Forest Service on September 14, 2010. The Final EIS includes responses to all comments received on the Draft EIR/EIS during the public review period (February 13 through April 6, 2009), as well as responses to comments received on the Supplemental Draft EIS. The Final EIS contains much of the same content as the Final EIR; however, information and analysis that has not changed substantively from the Final EIR has not been reproduced in the Final EIS, particularly information about conditions and impacts on non-federal lands.

Supplemental Draft EIS

The Forest Service published a Notice of Intent to prepare a Supplemental Draft EIS in the Federal Register on February 8, 2010. The Forest Service released the Supplemental Draft EIS on April 30, 2010, and the public review period ended on June 14, 2010. The Supplemental Draft EIS assessed the changed conditions created by the Station Fire, which burned approximately 251 square miles of NFS lands in the Angeles National Forest between August 26, 2009, and October 16, 2009. The burned area includes portions of Segments 6 and 11 of the Project. In addition, Project changes affecting NFS lands, including new structure types, helicopter staging and support areas, wire setup site locations, alternate access roads, and changes in the project schedule are analyzed in the Supplemental Draft EIS.

General Conformity

Per Section 176(c) of the Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) of 1990, the Forest Service, as the Federal Lead Agency must make a determination of whether the agency's preferred alternative "conforms" with the State Implementation Plan (SIP) based on the General Conformity requirements (40 CFR Part 93 et seq; November 1993).

Per 40 CFR §93.153, the Forest Service prepared a Draft Conformity Determination for the TRTP . The Draft Conformity Determination was released for a 30-day public review period, as required under 40 CFR §93.156, on March 22, 2010. The review period ended April 20, 2010.Comments received on the Draft Conformity Determination were responded to in the Final Conformity Determination. The Forest Service approved the Final Conformity Determination for the TRTP on June 2, 2010.

Construction Progress and Mitigation Monitoring

Construction started in April 2010 with the establishment of some construction yards and expansion of the existing Vincent Substation. Notices to Proceed (NTPs) were issued by CPUC for each of these activities. The majority of construction is expected to start in June/July 2010 as CPUC issues NTPs for each segment. Issuance of NTPs is contingent upon SDG&E's compliance with pre-construction requirements as specified by the approved mitigation measures and responsible agency permitting requirements. Construction on the Angeles National Forest, Segments 6 and 11, will not begin until the Forest Service issues their ROD and corresponding Special Use Permit.

CPUC Environmental Monitors are monitoring construction activities to ensure that they are conducted in accordance with the approved mitigation measures and permit conditions. Weekly reports documenting construction and monitoring activities are posted here.

Final EIR

The Final EIR was released on October 30, 2009.

The Final EIR includes responses to all comments received on the Draft EIR/EIS during the public review period (February 13 through April 6, 2009). The Final EIR also includes an analysis of a modified version of Alternative 4C proposed by the City of Chino Hills, which incorporates a slightly different switching station location, and incorporation of new information issued by the California Independent System Operator regarding the need for Segment 8B (for all alternatives). In addition, the Final EIR includes a Mitigation Monitoring Program.

Draft EIR/EIS

The CPUC and the USDA Forest Service released the Draft EIR/EIS for the proposed Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project on February 13, 2009. The public comment period ended on April 6, 2009.Revisions to the Draft EIR/EIS are reflected in the Final EIR (see link above).The Final EIR contains the entire content of the Draft EIR/EIS along with responses to comments received on the Draft EIR/EIS during the public review period.

Project Background and Description

SCE filed applications with the CPUC and the Forest Service to construct a series of transmission system improvements to deliver electricity from new wind energy projects in eastern Kern County to the Los Angeles Basin. The proposed Project would provide the electrical facilities necessary to integrate levels of new wind generation in excess of 700 megawatts (MW) and up to approximately 4,500 MW in the Tehachapi Wind Resource Area (TWRA).

For descriptive purposes, the proposed Project is separated into eight distinct segments, referred to as Segments 4 through 11. Segments 4 through 8, as well as Segments 10 and 11 of the proposed Project are transmission facilities, while Segment 9 addresses the addition and upgrade of substation facilities. The Project's major components include:

• Two new single-circuit 220-kilovolt (kV) transmission lines traveling in parallel approximately 4 miles over new right-of-way (ROW) from the Cottonwind Substation to the proposed new Whirlwind Substation (Segment 4 - 220 kV).
  
• A new single-circuit 500-kV transmission line, initially energized to 220 kV, traveling approximately 15.6 miles over new ROW from the proposed new Whirlwind Substation to the existing Antelope Substation (Segment 4 - 500 kV).
  
• Replace approximately 17.4 miles of the existing Antelope-Vincent 220-kV transmission line and the existing Antelope-Mesa 220-kV transmission line with only one new transmission line built to 500-kV standards in existing ROW between the existing Antelope Substation and the existing Vincent Substation (Segment 5).
  
• Rebuild approximately 31.9 miles of existing 220-kV transmission line to 500-kV standards from existing Vincent Substation to the southern boundary of the Angeles National Forest (ANF). This segment includes the rebuild of approximately 26.9 miles of the existing Antelope-Mesa 220-kV transmission line and approximately 5 miles of the existing Rio Hondo–Vincent 220-kV No. 2 transmission line (Segment 6).
  
• Rebuild approximately 15.8 miles of existing 220-kV transmission line to 500-kV standards from the southern boundary of the ANF to the existing Mesa Substation. This segment would replace the existing Antelope-Mesa 220-kV transmission line (Segment 7).
  
• Rebuild approximately 33 miles of existing 220-kV transmission line to 500-kV standards from a point approximately 2 miles east of the existing Mesa Substation (the "San Gabriel Junction") to the existing Mira Loma Substation (Segment 8A). This segment would also include the rebuild of approximately 7 miles of the existing Chino–Mira Loma No. 1 line from single-circuit to double-circuit 220-kV structures (Segment 8B).A new circuit between Chino Substation and approximately 0.8 mile west of the Mira Loma Substation (6.4 miles) would also be installed on the new double-circuit 500-kV structures built as part of Segment 8A (Segment 8C).
  
• Whirlwind Substation, a new 500/220-kV substation located approximately 4 to 5 miles south of the Cottonwind Substation near the intersection of 170th Street and Holiday Avenue in Kern County near the TWRA (Segment 9).
  
• Upgrade of the existing Antelope, Vincent, Mesa, Gould, and Mira Loma Substations to accommodate new transmission line construction and system compensation elements (Segment 9).
  
• Build a new 500-kV transmission line traveling approximately 16.8 miles over new ROW between the approved Windhub Substation (not part of this project) and the proposed new Whirlwind Substation (Segment 10).
  
• Rebuild approximately 18.7 miles of existing 220-kV transmission line to 500-kV standards between the existing Vincent and Gould Substations. This segment would also include the addition of a new 220-kV circuit on the vacant side of the existing double-circuit structures of the Eagle Rock–Mesa 220-kV transmission line, between the existing Gould Substation and the existing Mesa Substation (Segment 11).
  
• Installation of associated telecommunications infrastructure.

Project Location

Maps of the proposed transmission routes can be viewed by clicking on the link below
     Project Location Maps.

To find the location of your property in relation to the proposed transmission routes, click on the link below and enter your property address.
     Address Look-up

Additional Project Documents

Comment Summary Report

The Comment Summary Report and its appendices, which document and summarize the public meeting that was held on January 17, 2008, in Brea, CA, are available here.

Scoping Report

The Scoping Report and its appendices, which document and summarize the public scoping process, including comments received on the proposed Project, are available here.

Policy Consistency and Plan Amendments Report

The Policy Consistency and Plan Amendments Report, which provides a review of relevant federal, State, regional, and local agency plans and planning documents, is available here.

Fact Sheets

Several Fact Sheets are available that provide information on aspects of electrical transmission that frequently interest the public. These Fact Sheets were provided at all of the public scoping meetings and are also available here.

Notice of Preparation

The Notice of Preparation (English) can be viewed here. Translated versions of the NOP can be viewed here. [Chinese], [Spanish], and [Korean].

Notice of Intent

To initiate the EIS process, the USDA Forest Service published its Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement in the Federal Register (Volume 72, No. 173, page 51404) on September 7, 2007.

Proponent's Environmental Assessment (PEA)

As part of its application to the CPUC, SCE prepared and submitted a Proponent's Environmental Assessment (PEA), which describes the proposed project, existing environmental conditions in the project area, and potential environmental impacts. The PEA may be viewed here.

Notice of Availability of the Draft EIR/EIS

When the CPUC and the Forest Service published the Draft EIR/EIS, a Notice of Availability (NOA) was distributed to the public on February 13, 2009. The NOA (English) can be viewed here. Translated versions of the NOA can be viewed here [Chinese], [Spanish], and [Korean].

For Additional Information

The CPUC and Forest Service have completed the environmental review process for this project and the final documents are provided on this website.

To request additional information, please contact us by U.S. mail or email, as follows:

Project Mailing Address:

CPUC/Angeles National Forest
c/o Aspen Environmental Group
30423 Canwood Street, Suite 215
Agoura Hills, CA 91301

Project Email: TRTP@AspenEG.com