STATE OF CALIFORNIA ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, Governor
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
505 VAN NESS AVENUE
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102-3298
July 16, 2004
TO: PARTIES OF RECORD IN APPLICATION 03-03-043
Decision 04-07-027 is being mailed without the Dissent of Commissioners Loretta Lynch and Carl Wood. The Dissents will be mailed separately.
Very truly yours,
/s/ ANGELA K. MINKIN |
Angela K. Minkin, Chief Administrative Law Judge |
ANG:hl2
Attachment
ALJ/KLM/hl2 Mailed 7/16/2004
Decision 04-07-027 July 8, 2004
BEFORE THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
In the Matter of the Application of SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON COMPANY (U 338-E) for a Permit to Construct Electrical Facilities with Voltages Between 50 kV and 200 kV: Viejo System Project. |
Application 03-03-043 (Filed March 21, 2003) |
OPINION
Southern California Edison Company (SCE) requests a Permit to Construct a new substation in the City of Lake Forest and certain new transmission facilities through the City of Mission Viejo. SCE refers to the proposed new facilities as the Viejo System Project. This order grants the permit as the project described in the Final Mitigated Negative Declaration (FMND) and certifies the FMND.
I. Project Description
By this application, SCE seeks a permit to construct a substation and additional transmission capacity in the Lake Forest and Mission Viejo areas. The Viejo System project study area consists of the proposed substation site in the City of Lake Forest and a 3.1 mile segment of the existing 220 kilovolt (kV) and 66 kV transmission corridor located between the proposed substation site and the existing Chiquita Substation. The transmission line corridor is located within the Cities of Lake Forest and the City of Mission Viejo. The site of the proposed substation is located in the Foothill Ranch Planned Community within the City of Lake Forest. SCE also proposes to install a telecommunications line from the proposed substation site to the SCE Irvine Operations Center in the City of Irvine. All portions of the proposed project are located within Orange County, California.
As proposed, the Viejo System Project would replace 19 existing tubular steel poles with 13 four-circuit tubular steel H-frame towers along an existing right of way through the City of Mission Viejo. The project would include the installation of three 66 kV lines on the new towers which would run adjacent to existing lattice towers for 3.1 miles, and construction of four 12 kV underground circuits. The project would include the construction of a new 220/66/12 kV substation in the City of Lake Forest and modifications to the existing Chiquita substation. A detailed project description is contained in Section B.1 of the FMND and Supporting Initial Study. Specific project components are listed below.
Construction of a new 220/66/12 kV unmanned, automated, low-profile substation (Viejo Substation) on a 12.5-acre site in the City of Lake Forest.
Modification of 3.1 miles of the existing 66 kV subtransmission lines located within an existing SCE right-of-way containing 220 kV transmission and 66 kV subtransmission lines, to allow for an additional overhead 66 kV circuit. The existing 66 kV lines are located on tubular steel poles (TSPs) in the right-of-way between the proposed Viejo Substation in the City of Lake Forest and the existing Chiquita Substation in the City of Mission Viejo. Nineteen existing TSPs would be replaced with 13 metal H-frame structures within the existing right-of-way.
Minor modification of the Chino-San Onofre 220 kV transmission line and the San Onofre-Serrano 220 kV transmission line consisting of the replacement of three 220 kV lattice steel towers (LSTs) and the installation of 10 TSPs to loop the Chino-San Onofre 220 kV circuit into the Viejo Substation and create a by-pass for the San Onofre-Serrano 220 kV circuit.
Construction of four 12 kV underground circuits originating from the Viejo Substation.
Modification of equipment at the existing Chiquita Substation to accommodate the additional line, including one 66 kV circuit breaker, three 66 kV disconnect switches, and one 15-foot steel takeoff structure.
Installation of one Optical Ground Wire (OGW) within the existing 220 kV transmission and 66 kV subtransmission line corridor.
Installation of approximately 4.4 miles of underground fiber optic cable between Viejo Substation and the Irvine Operation Center.
The site of the proposed Viejo Substation is located in an industrial zone in the Foothill Ranch Planned Community of the City of Lake Forest. The Chiquita Substation is located in a Community Facility zone in the City of Mission Viejo. The transmission corridor of the proposed project is located along an existing 220/66 kV transmission facility corridor, and crosses areas zoned for Business Park/Industrial, Community Facility, Light Industrial, Recreation, Residential, and Roadway uses. Significantly, portions of the new H-frame facilities would traverse popular recreation areas and run adjacent to residential neighborhoods in Mission Viejo. These portions of the project would be constructed along an existing right of way where lattice towers are currently located.
