3. Reconductoring and New Facilities

PG&E's existing Vaca Dixon-Birds Landing 230 kilovolts (kV) Transmission Line and its Birds Landing Switching Station are located southeasterly from the Wind Farm's substation site. According to PG&E, these facilities have the capacity to take the additional electric energy. PG&E will construct and own a new transmission line up to the pull-off structure at the Wind Farm's substation. Wind Farm Owners plan to begin providing power to the grid by late December 2008. Also according to PG&E, the New Facilities must be finished prior to that date to provide power to the Wind Farm during its testing. Wind Farm Owners' funding is dependent on providing power by December 31, 2008. (Application, p. 3.)

Because the proposed Reconductoring and New facilities are subject to CEQA and the Commission must issue a discretionary decision without which PG&E cannot proceed, this Commission must act as either a Lead or a Responsible Agency under CEQA. The Lead Agency is the public agency with the greatest responsibility for supervising or approving the project as a whole (CEQA guidelines Section 15051(b)).

An EIR for the Wind Farm was prepared for the Solano County Department of Resource Management (Solano County) in accordance with the CEQA, Section 21092.5 of the Public Resources Code, and Sections 15088, 15089, 15132, and 15362 of the CEQA Guidelines. Wind Farm Owners applied to Solano County for a Use Permit for Wind Farm in October 2005 and submitted revised applications in November 2005, January 2006, and March 2006. Solano County determined that an EIR was required and subsequently issued a Notice of Preparation of an EIR on February 6, 2006. Solano County issued a combined Notice of Completion and Notice of Availability of the Draft EIR for the Wind Farm on October 10, 2006. The Draft EIR was distributed through the State Clearinghouse (#SCH 2006022037) and was also sent directly to agencies, individuals, and public locations (e.g., libraries).

Solano County noted that on August 10, 2006, PG&E issued a Notice of Construction on the Reconductoring Project (Notice). That Notice was subject to a 20-day public protest period, which elapsed without public comment. Solano County concluded that the Reconductoring and New Facilities work was therefore exempted from further permitting requirements through this Commission under GO 131-D, Section III.B.1. The Notice and associated materials are included in Section 3 of the Final EIR. The Final EIR was issued in February 2007.2 PG&E's Notice was filed at the Commission in Advice Letter 2879-E, and is discussed further in this decision. Solano County approved the Wind Farm on March 20, 2008 by adopting the Final EIR pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15092(b). It also adopted "CEQA Findings of Facts and Statement of Overriding Considerations." The following table shows the sequence of filings and approvals, before Solano County, and this Commission, related to the Wind Farm and Reconductoring and New Facilities.

3.1. Description of the Reconductoring and New Facilities

The application describes the proposed activities and related costs:

The [Reconductoring and New Facilities] that is the subject of this [Certificate] application is a transmission line that will tie into the existing Vaca Dixon-Birds Landing 230 kV Transmission Line at PG&E's existing Birds Landing Switching Station, approximately 3.3 miles southeasterly from the [Wind Farm] electric substation site located at the "Option II" site in Solano County. (See Exhibit C [attached to the application].) The transmission line will consist of 1,431 AAC type conductor supported by approximately 35 structures (approximately 33 poles and 2 lattice structures), including 6 replacement structures, that will be approximately 80 feet to 150 feet tall. From the switching station, the gen-tie line will run in a northerly direction parallel to and approximately 60 feet westerly of PG&E's existing Vaca Dixon-Birds Landing 230 kV transmission line for approximately 3.3 miles, across land that is mostly dry pasture, to [the Wind Farm's] substation. The Vaca-Dixon 500 kV transmission line is also in this corridor. The proposed [Reconductoring and New Facilities] will be located within PG&E's existing electric transmission line easements except for three poles at Birds Landing Switching Station. State Route 12 is approximately 4,000 feet north of the [Wind Farm's] substation site, and Olsen Road is approximately 1,000 feet east of the site. The nearest residence is more than 4,000 feet from the [Wind Farm] Substation site and approximately 800 feet from the proposed transmission line, with the existing Vaca Dixon-Birds Landing 230 kV and the Vaca Dixon-Tesla 500 kV transmission lines located between the residence and the new gen-tie transmission line. (See Exhibit C.) (Application, pp. 4 - 5.)

2 There were two amendments, in April 2007, and March 2008.

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