VI. Findings Regarding Other CEQA Considerations

VI.1 Growth-Inducing Impacts

The growth-inducing potential of a project is significant if it fosters growth or a concentration of population above what is assumed in local and regional land use plans, or in projections made by regional planning authorities. Significant growth impacts also occur if a project provides infrastructure or service capacity to accommodate growth levels beyond those permitted by local or regional plans and policies.

Finding/Rationale. As discussed in Section E.1.4 (Growth-Inducing Effects) of the EIR/EIS, both locally and regionally, the project area is experiencing substantial population growth, which is reflected in a large number of proposed and planned future residential development projects. This growth is expected to occur with or without the Project. The Project is not intended to supply power related to growth for any particular development, either directly or indirectly. The transmission line will be built so that as power loads increase, future overloading of transmission facilities is avoided. By increasing capacity and reducing generation outages, the Project will increase power reliability. Since the Project will increase capacity, it is indirectly growth-inducing. The Project will initially be operated at 220 kV in order to meet current transmission needs associated with ongoing wind development. However, the line will be built to 500-kV standards so that as renewable power loads increase, future overloading of transmission facilities will be avoided. The CAISO maintains that the use of 500-kV standards for the Project will avoid the future need to construct and/or tear down and replace multiple 220-kV facilities with 500-kV facilities to meet growing power generation and transmission needs. Therefore, the additional available capacity is considered growth inducing. Accordingly, the CPUC finds that the Project will have growth-inducing impacts.

VI.2 Significant Irreversible Environmental Changes

Irreversible and irretrievable environmental changes caused by a project include uses of nonrenewable resources during construction and operation, long-term or permanent access to previously inaccessible areas, and irreversible damage that may result from project-related accidents.

Finding/Rationale. The CPUC finds that the Project will result in a number of irreversible and irretrievable commitments of resources. Implementation of the Project will result in the consumption of energy as it relates to the fuel needed for construction-related activities. Construction will require the manufacture of new materials, some of which will not be recyclable at the end of the Project's lifetime, and the energy required for the production of these materials, which will also result in an irretrievable commitment of natural resources. The consumption of nonrenewable resources during maintenance and inspection of the Project will not change appreciably from SCE's existing activities in the project area. Although the Project will result in total land disturbance of approximately 122 acres, approximately 64 acres will be restored to their previous condition after construction. As this new disturbance will generally be in existing utility corridors, and where located outside existing corridors generally constructed by helicopter, ground access to previously inaccessible areas will be minimal. During the operation of the Project, the transport of electrical power generated from nonrenewable resources (e.g., natural gas, nuclear) will continue. However, these resources are available and will be available in the reasonably foreseeable future.

The Project will result in irreversible and irretrievable commitments of resources. As such, the CPUC finds that specific economic, legal, social, technological, or other considerations, including those considerations set forth in Section VIII.D. (Statement of Overriding Considerations) of the Decision, make infeasible additional mitigation measures or project alternatives identified in the Final EIR/EIS.

VI.3 Responses to Comments on the Draft EIR/EIS and Revisions to the Final EIR/EIS

Volume 2 of the EIR/EIS includes the comments received on the Draft EIR/EIS and responses to those comments. The focus of the responses to comments is on the disposition of significant environmental issues as raised in the comments, as specified by §15088(b) of the State CEQA Guidelines and 40 CFR 1503.4 under NEPA.

Finding/Rationale. Responses to comments made on the Draft EIR/EIS merely clarify and amplify the analysis presented in the document and do not trigger the need to recirculate per State CEQA Guidelines §15088.5(b).

Finding/Rationale. As explained in Responses to Comments A.8-6, B.7-2, and B.17-7, none of the alternative project routes suggested in comments on the Draft EIR/EIS were feasible alternatives, considerably different from the alternatives analyzed in the Draft EIR/EIS, which would clearly lessen the significant environmental impacts of the Project. Accordingly, none of these suggested alternatives included significant new information requiring further analysis.