II. Background
The Commission opened Rulemaking (R.) 04-08-020 to address public concerns regarding exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) for transmission and substation projects. This issue has consistently generated strong public opinion. The rulemaking identified three issues to explore:
1. The results of the Commission's current "low-cost/no-cost" EMF mitigation policy and the need for modifications.
2. Improvement in the implementation of the existing "low-cost/no-cost" mitigation policy.
3. As new EMF-related scientific data becomes available, new or revised Commission EMF mitigation policies.
D.06-01-042 addressed policies to mitigate EMF and, as a measure of low-cost mitigation, continued the use of a benchmark of 4% of transmission and substation project costs. D.06-01-042 also adopted rules and policies to improve utility design guidelines for reducing EMF, and provided for a utility workshop to implement these policies and standardize design guidelines.
The adopted policies and rules govern underground transmission lines, application of the 4% benchmark to EMF priority classes, EMF modeling techniques, and the location for measuring EMF mitigation. Utilities were also directed to initiate standardized field reduction techniques and to develop EMF mitigation tables.
During development of the scope of the proceeding, parties, including CCAE and 280 Citizens, recommended inclusion of extraneous issues not included in the rulemaking.1 However, the Assigned Commissioner's Scoping Memo and Ruling (Scoping Memo) excluded these issues and focused the proceeding on the three matters adopted in the rulemaking. The Scoping Memo also provided an opportunity for parties to comment on the utilities' design guidelines and application of the guidelines to field management plans (FMP) in transmission projects.
Although no evidentiary hearings were held, 280 Citizens, Kheifets, and CCAE, as well as other parties to the proceeding, commented on the design guidelines and FMP submitted by utilities. 280 Citizens and Southern California Edison Company (SCE) recommended the standardization of design guidelines. This proposal was adopted, and implementation was included in a utilities workshop ordered by D.06-01-042. The comments of parties provided the basis for many of the adopted policies in D.06-01-042, although other recommendations were rejected as either unworkable or potentially too costly.
None of the parties' comments provided any new scientific information on EMF, the third issue in R.04-08-020; instead SCE and 280 Citizens recommended closing the proceeding and monitoring new EMF scientific data through the Commission's Energy Division. This recommendation was adopted.
1 Comments of 280 Citizens and CCAE recommended including electric distribution lines and EMF impacts on property values, among other matters.
