7. Overriding Considerations

Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines § 15093, the Commission may only approve a project that results in significant and unavoidable impacts upon a finding that there are overriding considerations.

SCE testified that, under normal operating conditions, the existing Valley-Elsinore-Ivyglen subtransmission line is projected to exceed its operating capacity in 2009 and the existing substation facilities serving the Electrical Needs Area are expected to exceed their combined operating capacities in 2010. The Electrical Needs Area, which consists of the southwestern area of Riverside County, including Lake Elsinore and the community of Glen Ivy Hot Springs, is currently served by the Dryden, Glen Ivy, Elsinore and Ivyglen substations which are served entirely or in part by the existing Valley-Elsinore-Ivyglen 115 kV subtransmission line. SCE's updated 2009 projections indicated that the electrical demand would exceed the design operating limits of the existing Valley-Elsinore-Ivyglen 115 kV subtransmission line under normal and abnormal operating conditions in 2009 and that the Dryden and Elsinore substations will exceed their combined planned operating limits by 2010.

SCE further testified that the current system configuration contributes to unfavorable service reliability. Specifically, while the existing system was configured to serve an Electrical Needs Area that has historically been rural in nature, with a low number of customers and a corresponding low level of load, SCE's recent studies of past and projected electrical demand indicate that development has and continues to occur in the Electrical Needs Area. Extension of the existing distribution system to reach areas of new development strains the electrical facilities, which increases the risk of potential localized rolling blackouts and the transfer of load to other substations which, in turn, can lead to operational difficulties such as low voltage. In addition, because the Ivyglen Substation is currently only served by one line, any outage along that line, whether for maintenance or in the event of an unforeseen outage or emergency, will cause service interruptions as the Ivyglen Substation would lose its source of power until that line could be serviced.

We find that these are overriding considerations that support our adoption of the environmentally superior alternative, which is Alternative 5, despite each and every significant unavoidable impact.

7.1. Certification of EIR

CEQA requires the lead agency to certify that the EIR was completed in compliance with CEQA, that the agency has reviewed and considered it prior to approving the project, and that the EIR reflects the agency's independent judgment.

The EIR was completed after proper issuance of a Notice of Preparation of an EIR on January 22, 2008; notice and conduct of public scoping meetings on February 6, 2008, in Lake Elsinore, California, and on February 7, 2008, in Perris, California; issuance of the Draft EIR on June 11, 2009; notice and conduct of public meetings on the Draft EIR on July 15, 2009, in Lake Elsinore, California, and on July 16, 2009, in Perris, California; and the issuance of the Final EIR responding to all written and oral comments that were received during the 45-day public comment period.

We certify that the EIR was completed in compliance with CEQA that we have reviewed and considered the information contained in it, and that it reflects our independent judgment.