11. Assignment of Proceeding

Dian M. Grueneich is the assigned Commissioner and Victoria S. Kolakowski is the assigned Administrative Law Judge in this proceeding.

Findings of Fact

1. SCE filed the present application on February 16, 2007, and an amended application on July 17, 2007.

2. SCE's application for a PTC conforms to GO 131-D.

3. The Proposed Project will provide capacity and reliability support, as well as less costly maintenance, for the SCE transmission system.

4. A protest to the subject application was filed by Edward H. Leonhardt, P.E. on March 16, 2007.

5. A prehearing conference was held in Banning, California on August 1, 2007.

6. A scoping memorandum was issued by the Assigned Commissioner and Assigned Administrative Law Judge on March 20, 2008.

7. SCE served Supplemental Testimony on April 11, 2008, which is identified herein as Exhibit 1.

8. A group of individuals identifying themselves as "Citizens of Sun Lake Country Club" (SLCC), which includes party Marvin Friedman, served its rebuttal testimony on April 29, 2008, which is identified herein as Exhibit 2.

9. This proceeding does not require an evidentiary hearing, and no party has formally requested a hearing.

10. The Recirculated Final EIR (which incorporates the prior environmental documents) related to the Proposed Project conforms to the requirements of CEQA.

11. The Recirculated Final EIR considered four alternatives, including the Proposed Project, a Northerly Alternative, a Partial Underground Alternative, and a No Project Alternative.

12. The environmentally superior alternative in the Recirculated Final EIR is the Proposed Project.

13. The Recirculated Final EIR was presented to the Commission, and the Commission has received, reviewed, and considered the information contained in the Final EIR.

14. The CEQA Findings of Fact in Attachment A represent the independent findings of the Commission.

15. The MMRCP, included as part of the Recirculated Final EIR, specifically describes the mitigation measures to be taken.

16. Mitigation Measure HAZ-10 is unnecessary and infeasible and should not be imposed as part of the MMRCP.

17. The Recirculated Final EIR reflects the Commission's independent judgment.

18. The Commission considered the Recirculated Final EIR in deciding to approve the Project.

19. The Project includes no-cost and low-cost measures (within the meaning of D.93-11-013, and D.06-01-042) to reduce possible exposure to EMF.

20. The Recirculated Final EIR determined that all alternatives, including the No Project Alternative, had significant environmental impacts that could not be mitigated.

21. There is an urgent need for the El Casco Project to meet the projected capacity requirements of the Electric Needs Area as well as to ensure local and regional system reliability.

22. Undergrounding subtransmission lines is significantly more expensive than overhead lines.

23. The cost of undergrounding for the Partial Underground Alternative exceeds the threshold to qualify as a "low-cost/no-cost" mitigation measure.

24. Selection of the Partial Underground Alternative or the Northerly Alternative would result in unnecessary delay in the construction of the El Casco Project.

25. Selection of the Northerly Alternative would result in inefficiencies due to multiple subtransmission lines.

26. The Commission considered the testimony of the parties and the economic, legal, social and technological benefits of the alternatives, and determined that the Proposed Project should be approved and that to the extent necessary, overriding considerations exist to approve the Proposed Project.

27. Reference Exhibits considered include (by exhibit identification): A - the Public Scoping Report; B - the Draft EIR; C - the Final EIR; D - the Recirculated Draft EIR; and E - the Recirculated Final EIR.

Conclusions of Law

1. Evidentiary hearings are not necessary.

2. SCE's supplemental testimony should be received into the record as Exhibit 1.

3. SLCC's supplemental testimony should be received into the record as Exhibit 2.

4. The Commission is the Lead Agency for compliance with the provisions of CEQA.

5. A Scoping Report on the El Casco Project was processed in compliance with CEQA.

6. A Draft EIR analyzing the environmental impacts of the El Casco Project was processed in compliance with CEQA.

7. A Final EIR on the El Casco Project was processed in compliance with the requirements of CEQA.

8. A Recirculated Draft EIR analyzing the environmental impacts of the El Casco Project was processed in compliance with CEQA.

9. A Recirculated Final EIR on the El Casco Project was processed and completed in compliance with the requirements of CEQA, and includes by reference and amendment the preceding documents.

10. The Scoping Report, Draft EIR, Final EIR, Recirculated EIR and Recirculated Final EIR should be received into the record of this proceeding as Reference Exhibits A, B, C, D and E, respectively.

11. The Recirculated Draft EIR and the Recirculated Final EIR (which includes the MMRCP) should be adopted, with the exception of Mitigation Measure HAZ-10.

12. The CEQA Findings of Fact in Attachment A should be adopted in their entirety, with the exception that Mitigation Measure HAZ-10 is infeasible as detailed in this decision.

13. Possible exposure to EMF has been reduced by the no-cost and low-cost measures SCE included in the Project (pursuant to D.93-11-013, and D.06-01-042).

14. The Commission, having considered the testimony of the parties and the economic, legal, social and technological benefits of the alternatives, should approve the Proposed Project. To the extent necessary, overriding considerations should be found to exist to approve the Proposed Project.

15. SCE should obtain all necessary easement rights, or other legal authority, to the Proposed Project site prior to commencing construction.

16. SCE's application for a PTC should be approved, subject to the mitigation measures set forth in the Recirculated Final EIR.

17. A.07-02-022 should be closed.

18. This order should be effective immediately.

ORDER

IT IS ORDERED that:

1. Southern California Edison Company (SCE) is granted a Permit to Construct the El Casco Project. The El Casco Project consists of: (1) construction of a 220/115/12 kilovolt (kV) substation (El Casco Substation), associated 220 kV and 115 kV interconnections, and new 12 kV line getaways on an approximately 28 acre site located within the Norton Younglove Reserve in Riverside County, California; (2) upgrade of a total of approximately 15.4 miles of 115 kV subtransmission lines and associated structures within existing SCE rights-of-way in the Cities of Banning and Beaumont and unincorporated Riverside County; (5) rebuilding of 115 kV switchracks within SCE's existing Zanja and Banning substations in the Cities of Yucaipa and Banning, respectively; and (6) installation of fiber optic cables within public streets and on or through existing overhead and underground structures and conduits within the Cities of Redlands and Banning, California. The El Casco Project would be entirely located within Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.

2. SCE's supplemental testimony is received into the record as Exhibit 1.

3. Citizens of Sun Lakes Country Club's supplemental testimony is received into the record as Exhibit 2.

4. The Scoping Report is received into the record of this proceeding as Reference Exhibit A.

5. The Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is received into the record of this proceeding as Reference Exhibit B.

6. The Final EIR is received into the record of this proceeding as Reference Exhibit C.

7. The Recirculated Draft EIR is received into the record of this proceeding as Reference Exhibit D.

8. The Recirculated Final EIR is received into the record of this proceeding as Reference Exhibit E.

9. The Recirculated Final EIR (which incorporates the Draft EIR, Final EIR and Recirculated Draft EIR) is adopted pursuant to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act, Pub. Res. Code §§ 21000 et seq.

10. The Mitigation Monitoring, Reporting and Compliance Plan (MMRCP), included as part of the Recirculated Final EIR, is adopted, with the exception of Mitigation Measure HAZ-10.

11. The CEQA Findings of Fact in Attachment A are adopted in their entirety, with the exception that Mitigation Measure HAZ-10 is infeasible as detailed in this decision.

12. The Permit to Construct is subject to the mitigation measures set forth in the Recirculated Final EIR and MMRCP.

13. SCE shall have in place, prior to commencing construction, all of the necessary easements rights, or other legal authority, to the Project site.

14. Application 07-02-022 is closed.

This order is effective today.

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