12. Assignment of Proceeding

Catherine J.K. Sandoval is the assigned Commissioner and Hallie Yacknin is the assigned ALJ in this proceeding.

1. The proposed Colorado River Substation expansion project would have significant and unavoidable impacts on biological resources, cultural resources and greenhouse gas emissions.

2. All of the project alternatives, except for the Partial Avoidance Alternative, would have less than significant impacts on biological resources.

3. All of the project alternatives would have significant and unavoidable impacts on cultural resources and greenhouse gas emissions.

4. Avoidance Alternative #1 is the environmentally superior alternative due to its reduction of impacts to the Mojave fringe-toed lizard to less than significant with mitigation, and for having the least potential impact on rare plants.

5. The Southern Alternative is the next in order of environmental superiority because, while it also reduces impacts to the Mojave fringe-toed lizard to less than significant with mitigation, it has the potential to impact desert washes and desert kit foxes and a slightly greater number of unevaluated cultural resources (although these impacts would be less than significant with mitigation).

6. Although Avoidance Alternatives #2 and #3 would also both reduce impacts to the Mojave fringe-toed lizard to less than significant with mitigation, they are environmentally inferior to the Southern Alternative because they would still affect some lower quality sand dune habitat.

7. The Commission has reviewed and considered the information contained in the SEIR.

8. The SEIR reflects the Commission's independent judgment and analysis.

9. The likely time required to complete Avoidance Alternative #1 poses a significant risk that the 1000 MW Blythe Solar Power Project and the 250 MW Genesis Solar Energy Project will be delayed and/or cancelled and thereby impede the ability of California to meet its renewable energy goals in a timely fashion.

10. The Southern Alternative substation project will enable the interconnection of new renewable energy resources in the Blythe area, including the Blythe Solar Power Project and the Genesis Solar Energy Project, to the CAISO-controlled transmission grid, aiding in progress towards federal and state greenhouse gas reduction and renewable electricity goals, including the requirements set forth in Senate Bill 1078 (California Renewable Portfolio Standard Program), Assembly Bill 32 (California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006), the Governor's Executive Order S-14-08 to increase the state's Renewable Energy Standard to 33% renewable energy by 2020, and Title XVII, Section 1705, of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (authorizing a new program for rapid deployment of, among other things, renewable energy projects).

11. The proposed project design places the major substation electrical equipment (such as transformers, switchracks, buses, and underground duct banks) more than 1,250 feet away from the nearest private property boundary.

1. The SEIR was completed in compliance with CEQA.

2. Avoidance Alternative #1 is infeasible because it poses significant risk that the 1000 MW Blythe Solar Power Project and the 250 MW Genesis Solar Energy Project will be delayed and/or cancelled and thereby impede the ability of California to meet its renewable energy goals in a timely fashion.

3. The Southern Alternative Colorado River Substation expansion project's contribution to California's progress towards federal and state greenhouse gas reduction and renewable electricity goals is an overriding consideration that supports our approval of it, despite its significant unavoidable impacts on cultural resources and cumulative greenhouse gas emissions.

4. The Southern Alternative Colorado Substation Expansion project's contribution to California's progress toward federal and state greenhouse gas reduction and renewable electricity goals, in conjunction with the overall DPV2 project's significant economic benefits for CAISO ratepayers, increased reliability of the interstate transmission network, increase operational flexibility, and insurance value as an economic hedge against low-probability, high-impact events, are overriding considerations that support our approval of the Southern Alternative Colorado River Substation expansion project, despite its significant unavoidable impacts on cultural resources and cumulative greenhouse gas emissions.

5. The proposed project design is consistent with the Commission's EMF policy for implementing no-cost and low-cost measures to reduce potential EMF impacts.

6. SCE should be granted a permit to construct the Southern Alternative Colorado River Substation expansion project in conformance with the mitigation measures attached to this order.

7. This proceeding should be closed.

ORDER

IT IS ORDERED that:

1. Southern California Edison Company is granted a Permit to Construct the Southern Alternative Colorado River Substation expansion project in conformance with the mitigation measures included as part of the final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report and attached to this order.

2. The mitigation measures, included as part of the final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report and attached to this order, are adopted.

3. Application 10-11-005 is closed.

This order is effective today.

Dated July 14, 2011, at San Francisco, California

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