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Home My WebLink About2013/09/10 Item 18 . ��g R ' Ne uG�C ICe� � I � RESOURCEBALANCE � RESOURCE BALANCE, INC. 313 Glen Creek Dri��e, Suite 100 Bonita,Califomia 91902-4279 (619)992-3395 Steve @ResourceBalance.com September 70, 2013 City Council City of Chula Vista 276 Fourth Avenue Chula Vista, CA 91910 Subject: SDGE's Proposed South Ba��Substation I am familiar with the proposed Sou[h Bay Substation Project because I am the Founding Direc[or Emeritus of the Chula Vista I�'ature Center and led public education and conservation efforts there for 12 years. It is illogical [o remove a power plant from the waterfront for em�ironmental and aesthetic reasons and then relocate its substation closer to a National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) that contains breeding populations of endangered species. The proposed substation would destroy coastal wedands and the sensitive plants and animals they support. Utility towers and overhead lines provide perching and nesting sites for raptors (birds of prey). Suitable perches, adjacent to the Refuse, increase the potential of predation on lis[ed species. Obviously, the presence of utility towers adjacent to the I`TWR is contrazy to its mission and goals and potentially detrimental to the health of listed species. The elimination of two towers is good, but constructing another tower is notjustifiable. The elimination of all rowers and overhead lines near the Bay would be better. In close collaboration with the Chula Vista Elementary School District and Sweenvater Union High School Districts, the Center has taught smdents about the critical importance of conserving the natural resources of the Chula Vista Bayfront for more than 2� years. Those same students, along with coundess adult volunteers, have played an active and critical role in the conservation of sensitive South Bay ecosystems including coas[al �aetlands, clapper rails and burrowing owls. The Project would affect those same sensi[ive resources that the Center and its volunteers have worked so hard to preserve. The proposal to move the Substation to a site that takes coastal wedands and potentially affects clapper rails and burrowing owls is an insult and affront to the good work of[he Living Coast � � Testimony To Chula Vista Ciry Coimcil—Soudi Bay Substation Page 2 of 2 Septem6er 10, 20l3 Discovery Center and its citizen volunteers whom have worked tirelessly ro conserve the wedand resources of the South Bay. SDGE has withdrawn its support for their Substations' Bayfront Enhancement Al[emative that contained an endowment for the Living Coast Discovery Center. That Alternative was promoted by SDGE to secure support for the substation from the environmental community. Not only should the overhead lines be undergrounded but also the one-time endowment ro the Center by the project should be paid immediately. Respectfully Submitted, �� n� Dr. Stephen Neudecker, CEO Certified Senior Ecologist --- �rg , `��d;l�1 ( STATE CAFROL �` ao.eox�zsss �$�PXTTU 1�T cor�rairre=s SACRAMENTO,CA9S2-�-0080 C' RUL=S (9�6)��p r, EDUCATION ; FAX(91E)313-21&0 �tt,�j�,Q�YT'[�. CE�t,�"i�'L��Q WA ERAPARKSi.NDWILDLIFE DISTRICT OFFICE 1550 FRONT STFEET,SUITE E02<' `<y��;��t��r'� SAN DIECO,CA 92 i01 =aH-"=f:.". (o1g)�sA-6050 '•:�' FAX(6,s�a�-eo�v i QREI�tA GONZALEZ ASSEF.?ELriNCMFN,EIGHTIEIi DISTF.ICT August 31, 2013 Michael J. Peevey President California Public Utilities Commission 505 Van Ness Avenue San Francisco, CA 94102 Daar Commissioner Peevey: I am writing to request your support for an open and community-based approach to developing the Chula Vista Bayfront as a showcase for our South Bay Region. Prior to my service in the Cali�ornia State Assembly, I served as the Secretary-Treasurer for the San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council. In that capaciiy as the chief executive oi the San Diego Labor Council, I paricipa;ed in the successful coali'tion- building which led to the development and approval of the Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan. I am very concerned that a key element of that plan, the repiacement of an outdated substation currently remaining at the site of the demolished South Bay Power Plant, was to be placed into a new location further south. However, I have learned that ihe replacement substation nov✓proposed and advancing ihrough the Caliiornia Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) process notro includes the addition o�overhead utility lines and supporting structures and is not the most state-of-the-art and lov>-protile design. Tfie 2004 agreement between SDG&E and the City of Chula Vista led to the establishment of this area of the bayfront as an undergrounding district and, furthermore, boih the Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan and the agreement call ior utilities on ihe bayfront to be undergrounded. This is not occurring if overhead utility lines are being proposed to the CPUC. The agreements enfered into vdith both the cit� and SDG&E should be upheld and the spirit and integrity of the bayfront plan that many worked so hard ior should be enforced. I urge you to include the community in these decisions and to work fo guarantee fhat the bayfront plan is upheld and that we have a bayfront tfiat all of Chula Visia can be proud of. S' ce ly, L r na onzalez s m lywoman 8 h District •�_��:� ?nr::ad oM RE.yG'eG Pa��r �/� � � :�y��. �ENVIRUNMENTAL HEALTN COALITION " ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' � ' ' '� �'� September 3, 2oi3 Chairman and Commissioners California Public Utilities Commission Sos Van Ness Avenue San Francisco, CA 94io2 RE: Chula Vista A-ioos-oo�: Relocation of South Bay Substation Dear Chairman and Commissioners: Em�ironmental Health Coalition(EHC) is an em�ironmental justice organization�eorking to empower individuals, organize communities, and achieve justice in the San Diego region. 41'e have been deepl}= involved with the planning of the Chula Vista Bayfront and the removal of the South Bay Po��er Plant. It has taken decades to achieve a bayfront plan that protects the environment, provides much-needed park resources for an underserved communiry, and allows for economic contributions to the region. It is of critical importance that relocation of the South Bay Substation be done consistent��th adopted land use plans. Any project adopted that fails to appropriately site and size the South Bay Substation «�11 undermine that progress, and��e urge the Commission to require modifications to comply«ith those plans. We have gone to great pains to reduce heights of structures on the Sweet�vater and Otay Districts of the Bayfront so no tall structures should be allowed as part of the replacement substation. Any adopted project should include all mitigations and requirements to minimize or eliminate impacts to local wildlife as�vell. In addition,there are agreements beri��een SDG&E and the C�ty to improve the Ba}�front through the undergrounding of the po��er lines r1s�+�e understand it, the proposed project described in the recommendation and the original application is inconsistent H2th Chula Vista's certified Local Coastal Program ("LCP"). Specifically the proposed project includes the addition of new overhead power lines and supporting structures that are too high for the area. 4Ve have long understood that the substation�eould be relocated and the new facility��ould be smaller, state of the art, and lo��er profile and«-e have based our BayCront plan on that expectation. We urge the Commission to require a project that complies�vith the certified LCP and the city underground agreements, relocates the substation, reduces its size, and undergrounds the power lines so that our Bayfront Plan can move fon.�ard as planned. Please feel free to contact me��ith any questions at(6i9)474-022o eact ioz. Sincerely, �auifa.�r.�� Laura Hunter Senior Policy Advocate cc. CPUC PublicAd�risor public.advisor(cilcpuc.ca.qov EMPOWERING PEOPLE.ORGANIIING COMMUNITIES.ACHIEYIN6 JUSTICE. EMPODERANDO A LA GENTE.ORGANIZANDO A LAS COMUNIDAUES.L06RANU0 LA JUSTICIA. i 1�4-cr►1 �I� P,,�.iol i c Co m rv�f 5 . ` Cn�oo+) Power Cable Consultants, 911C. Torben Aabo 510 Charlton, Road Ballston Spa, Ne�c 1'ork 12020-3204, phone 518 384 1613, ce11 518 441 8085 August �, 2013 Mayor Cheryl Cox and Honorable Members of the City Council Chula Vista Mayor and Council Office 276 Fourth Avenue Chula Vista. CA 91910 RE: Proposed South Bay Substation Relocation Project Dear Mayor Cox and Honorable Members of the Chula Vista City Council: My name is Torben Aabo. 1 am one of the experts retained by the City of Chino Hills referred to in the California Public Utilities Commissions' recent decision in which the��appro��ed the undergrounding of a 3.� mile segment of a 500 kV hieh voltage transmission line runnin2 throu�h the City of Chino Hills at an estimated cost of 5224 million. My company; Power Cable Consul[ants, Inc., offered one of the expert testimonies referred to in [he Chino Hills decision that the CPUC relied on in support of the order requirin� the under�roundin� throu�h Chino Hills. I have reviewed the undergroundine documentation publically a��ailable for the Proposed South Bay Substation Relocation Project in Chula Vista. These indude the marerials posted on the CPUC website; ihe prepared direct testimonies of SDGRE's espens as well as Inland lndustries expert, the maps of ihe proposed location and routing of vansmission lines, the ampacity calculations performed by Black and Veatch (B&V) for SDG&E as ��•ell as SDGRE's detailed data request responses filed with the CPUC. The follo�ring are my condusions based on my re��ie�v of these documents: It is feasible and practical to underground the 230 kV tie line i# 230042 from the Mieuel Substation as it approaches the proposed South Bay Substation location. y The undergrounding of this line will not require new additional po��er poles and �vill make the proposed 60 ft. tall steel A Frames within the substation unnecessary as their purpose is solely to brina the lines in above sround. Underorounding the 230 kV line as it approaches the Substation will allow for the desi�n of a low profile substation. . Undergroundine of the 230kV hioh voltase line can be accomplished without havins splices in the cables. � � The required loadina can be met with two cables per phase in accordance �vith the ampacity calculations performed by B&V, using a 230 kV XLPE cable with a 2,�00 kcmil copper conductor. An overhead to underground transition strucmre installed at the point of transition including the six [errrtinations for the h��o cables per phase; would replace the existine overhead line tower at the transition site. I am willine to offer m��company's espert services to the City of Chula Vista should you wish ro ask the CPUC to underground the proposed abo��e eround po�ti�er lines and further analyze and evaluate SDG&E's proposed designs. I am confident eiven today's technoloey that undergroundin� the remainin� abo��e sround lines associated �vith the new Substation can be accomplished addine a fraction to the cost to the substation relocation project �vhich will not affect the overall System Averase Rate. Ho�vever, it will affect future generations of the City of Chula Vista �ahen they go to the shores ofthe City. Sincerely, �-�, �.�- Torben Aabo Principal Engineer la-r.►� � �g � � Q�.bl�� Com. fs (.Moo�-) �� `,�,.�� -o.�.�- � cm� pr ��-i��t VC�`�11 OFFICE OF THE CITY COUNCIL , May 11, 2010 i I� Ms. Mary Turley, Project Manager Bay Blvd Substation Relocation ; San Diego Gas & Electric - � 8315 Century Pa�k Ct., CP21C i San Diego, CA 92123 � mturley�a semprautilities.com Dear Ms. Turley: ; . � The Chula Vista City Council offers its strong support for the project to develop a new state of the art substation on the Chula �sta Bayfront to replace the fifty year old substation that constrains development of public access, enhanced wildlife corridors, substantial economic development and public serving infrasfructure opportunities for the region. The City is eager to have the new substation built and . the old substation removed immediately following the ; decommissioning and dismantling of the South Bay Power Plant. The decommissioning and removal of the South Bay Power Plant (SBPP) and existing substationlswitchyard were the primary purposes behind the State's facilitation of the acquisition of the SBPP by the Port of San Diego in 1997. Dismantling should have begun between November 2009 and February 28, 2010. The removal of infrastructure constraints: the existing substation, transmission and distribution lattice towers and utility poles, are a primary component of the 2004 Memorandum of Understanding between the City and SDG&E. The removal of this infrastructure along with the remaining transmission and distribution towers and utility poles are a critical coriiponent of maximizing the opportunity for the Bay Front Master Plan to realize its full potential and create the wildlife habitat 276 FOURTH AVENUE•CHULA VISTA•CALIFORNIA 81910•(61 B)691-604M1•FAX(619)476•5379 ea, wac..�...M.us.w i � ' � ; ; , � � � protection and quality public amenities that Chula Vista and the South ' Bay community have been planning for over a decade. , With SDG&E and the California Public Utilities Commission assistance we took the first major steps in restoring this invaluable Bayfront site and returning it to the peopie of South Bay. The Otay Metro Loop project undergrounded three miles of 230kv transmission , lines along the Bayfront in 2006 to 2008 and the City.invested over : $20,000,000 in 20a funds to underground the existing 138kv transmission lines to facilitate the removal of the lattice towers from the Bay Front. The results of the first phase of the tower removal that occurred north of J Street last December have amazed all project participants. The City appreciates SDG&E's and the San Diego Unified Port District's cooperation in moving forn+ard another component of the SDG&E/Cify MOU, .the development of a new, smaller and lower profile substation at the southern edge of the existing South Bay Power Plant (SBPP) site. The construction of a new substation with adequate buffer and screening, including solid walls, the removal of the remaining utility poles and enhanced landscaping softening, will allow the proposed facility to co-exist in harmony with the adjacent wildlife habitat and conforms with the high expectations established by the Bay Front Master Plan that the community has invested so much in bringing fo fruifion over this past decade. We strongly encourage SDG&E to work with the City and Port to incorporate the screening and removal of the remaining wooden utility and transmission poles and undergrounding from J Street to the Substation in its application to the CPUC. The City asks that the CPUC staff and Commissioners recognize the major financial commitment and investment that Chula Vista has made in this project to date and urges fhe Commission to support this CITY OF CHULA VISTA important next step in updating the regionai transmission and distribution system and improving locai energy reliability through a ; strong investment in the Bay Boulevard Substation project. Thank you very much for your efforts and generous consideration. � The City of Chula Vista looks forward to working with SDG&E and the CPUC on implementing a project in which we can all take great pride for the next several decades, Sincerely, ;� �J.2�. �``( �R�IOY �� , � Mayor and Council CC: David Geier, VP Distribution & Transmission Infrastructure CIT'!OF CHUTA VISTA