California Public Utilities Commission
505 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS RELEASE Media Contact: Terrie Prosper, 415.703.1366, news@cpuc.ca.gov Docket #: A.07-06-031

CPUC PRESIDENT'S RULING ORDERS EDISON TO
SUBMIT INFORMATION ON UNDERGROUNDING
TRANSMISSION LINE IN CHINO HILLS

SAN FRANCISCO, July 2, 2012 - The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) today issued a Ruling by CPUC President Michael R. Peevey that requires Southern California Edison (SCE) to develop, by February 28, 2013, prepared testimony based on preliminary engineering studies of undergrounding options for transmission lines running through the City of Chino Hills.

On Nov. 10, 2011, and subsequently clarified on March 22, 2012, the CPUC ordered SCE to stop construction work in Chino Hills on the Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project (Project) in response to an Application for Rehearing and Motion for Partial Stay filed by the City of Chino Hills regarding the CPUC's 2009 decision (D. 09-12-044) approving Segments 4 through 11 of the Project.

On May 3, 2012, the CPUC announced that confidential settlement negotiations had commenced between SCE and the City of Chino Hills on the routing of a 500-KV power line through the city. Although SCE and the City of Chino Hills participated actively in the negotiations, today's Ruling steps up efforts by requiring SCE to provide more detailed testimony that relies on preliminary engineering to more fully describe and estimate the costs and construction timeline for undergrounding options. The resulting prepared testimony will be the subject of evidentiary hearings, as necessary.

Said CPUC President Peevey, "My objective is to ensure that the CPUC moves promptly to develop a complete record with respect to the alternative of putting this line underground in Chino Hills, including the environmental impact of this type of construction. We need a better estimate of the cost based on a detailed engineering design. I applaud the efforts of SCE and the City of Chino Hills to explore this alternative through settlement negotiations over the past few months. Those talks have been very helpful in narrowing the scope of the controversy. By today's Ruling, I am directing both sides to sharpen their pencils to bring the underground solution into better focus. This will allow the CPUC to then select, through its final decision in this case, the best solution for this important renewable energy transmission line. We cannot lose sight of the fact that time is of the essence in getting this line completed and energized by 2015. We must enable the delivery of electric generation over the Project on the schedule currently anticipated."

Parties may also develop and serve prepared testimony. The CPUC will undertake any and all appropriate review required by the California Environmental Quality Act before issuing a final decision, anticipated in 2013. President Peevey expects the stay of the construction work in Chino Hills to remain in effect until the CPUC considers the undergrounding options and makes a final determination.

The Ruling is available at http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/EFILE/RULC/169961.pdf.

For more information on the CPUC, please visit www.cpuc.ca.gov.

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