3. Requirements for a CPCN
By General Order (GO) 131-D, PG&E's construction of the Interconnection Project cannot be begin without the Commission having first found that the facilities are necessary to promote the safety, health, comfort, and convenience of the public, and that they are required by the public convenience and necessity.1
An application for a CPCN must comply with the filing requirements of this Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure and must also include the following:2
a. A detailed description of the proposed transmission facilities, including the proposed transmission line route and alternative routes, if any; proposed transmission equipment; such as tower design and appearance, heights, conductor sizes, voltages, capacities, substations, switchyards, etc.; and a proposed schedule for certification, construction, and commencement of operation of the facilities;
b. A map of suitable scale of the proposed routing showing details of the right-of-way in the vicinity of settled areas, parks, recreational areas, scenic areas, and existing electrical transmission lines within one mile of the proposed route;
c. A statement of facts and reasons why the public convenience and necessity require the construction and operation of the proposed transmission facilities;
d. A detailed statement of the estimated cost of the proposed facilities;
e. Reasons for adoption of the route selected, including comparison with alternative routes, including the advantages and disadvantages of each;
f. A schedule showing the program of right-of-way acquisition and construction;
g. A listing of the governmental agencies with which proposed route reviews have been undertaken, including a written agency response to applicant's written request for a brief position statement by that agency. (Such listing shall include The Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) which shall constitute notice on California Indian Reservation Tribal governments.) In the absence of a written agency position statement, the utility may submit a statement of its understanding of the position of such agencies; and
h. A Proponents' Environmental Assessment (PEA) or equivalent information on the environmental impact of the project in accordance with the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act of 1970 (CEQA), Public Resources Code Sections 21000 et seq., and the guidelines for implementation of CEQA, California Administrative Code Sections 15000 et seq. If a PEA is filed, it may include the data described in Items a through g above.
Applications for a CPCN must also describe the measures taken or proposed by the utility to reduce the potential exposure to electric and magnetic fields (EMF) generated by the proposed facilities, in compliance with Commission order.3
1 GO 131-D, Section III.A.
2 GO 131-D, Section IX.A.
3 GO 131-D, Section X.A.
