4. Description of Project Alternatives

The SEIR evaluated SCE's proposed project, a "no project" alternative, and five alternative configurations: the Partial Avoidance Alternative, Avoidance Alternative #1, Avoidance Alternative #2, Avoidance Alternative #3, and the Southern Alternative.

The proposed project would be located approximately 1.5 miles south of Interstate 10 and 4.75 miles easy of Wiley Well Road, in the County of Riverside, California, on approximately 160 acres of public land located within a sand transport corridor. The proposed project would expand the previously-approved project from a 500 kilovolt (kV) substation on approximately 45 acres of land into a full 2240 megavolt ampere (MVA) 500/220 kV substation on approximately 90 acres of land.

The Partial Avoidance Alternative would be located southeast of the proposed project (and north of the DVP2 transmission corridor), also on public land within the sand transport corridor, but would reduce direct and indirect impacts to Mojave fringe-toed lizard sand dune habitat, ribbed cryptantha and Harwood's eriastrum, and would impact fewer total documented cultural resources than the proposed project.

Avoidance Alternative #1 would be located approximately 0.9 miles southeast of the proposed project (remaining north of the DPV2 transmission corridor), entirely outside of the sand transport corridor, on both public and private land.

Avoidance Alternative #2 would be located approximately 1.2 miles southeast of the proposed project (remaining north of the DPV2 transmission corridor), entirely outside of the sand transport corridor and entirely on private land.

Avoidance Alternative #3 would be located almost 1.9 miles southeast of the proposed project (remaining north of the DPV2 transmission corridor), entirely outside of the sand transport corridor and entirely on public land.

The Southern Alternative would be located approximately 0.75 miles south of the proposed project (south of the DPV2 transmission corridor), entirely outside of the sand transport corridor and entirely on public land.

Under the "no project" alternative, the Colorado River Substation would be constructed as approved by the Commission in D.07-01-040; it would not be expanded to enable interconnection to solar projects.