Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Transmission Line Rating Remediation Project?
Southern California Edison has submitted several transmission line right-of-way applications to the Bureau of Land Management to remediate existing transmission lines that do not meet current reliability standards established by California Public Utilities Commission General Order 95 and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation. The projects are part of Southern California Edison’s Transmission Line Rating Remediation (TLRR) program. The Ivanpah-Control Project is part of this effort.
What is the Ivanpah-Control Project?
The Ivanpah-Control Project is the remediation of an existing 115 kilovolt subtransmission line composed of four segments (1, 2, 3N, 3S) spanning Inyo County, northeastern Kern County, and northern San Bernardino County. The total linear Project length is approximately 262 miles. The northern/western terminus is the Control Substation, approximately five miles west of the city of Bishop in Inyo County; the eastern terminus is at Coolwater Substation, located in Daggett, about nine miles east of Barstow. The Ivanpah-Control Project, as of June 2024, consists of the following components:
· Segment 1: Control Substation (Bishop) to Inyokern Substation (126-mile segment): The subtransmission lines would be rebuilt in a new alignment near or adjacent to the existing alignment (but outside the existing right-of-way) and the existing subtransmission structures would be demolished and removed.
· Segment 2: Inyokern Substation to Kramer Junction (48-mile segment): The subtransmission line would be rebuilt near or adjacent in a new alignment adjacent to the existing alignment (but within the existing right-of-way) and the existing subtransmission structures would be demolished and removed.
· Segment 3N: Kramer Junction–Coolwater Substation (44-mile segment): The subtransmission line would be reconductored. Reconducting means to replace the cable or wire on an electric circuit, typically a high-voltage transmission line, usually to afford a greater electric-current-carrying capability. Some existing subtransmission structures would be replaced with steel and wood H-frames and wood multipole structures; most replacement structures would be installed proximate to existing structures that would be removed.
· Segment 3S: Kramer Junction–Tortilla Substation–Coolwater Substation (44-mile segment): The subtransmission line would be reconductored. Reconductoring means replacement of the cable or wire on an electric circuit, typically a high-voltage transmission line, usually to afford a greater electric-current-carrying capability. Some existing subtransmission structures would be replaced with tubular steel poles and wood multipole structures, and steel and wood H-frames; replacement structures would be installed proximate to existing structures which would be removed.
· Segment 4: Coolwater Substation to Ivanpah Substation (96-mile segment): Effective June 2024, this segment has been removed at the request of the proponent. A reevaluation of this subtransmission line operations, power needs and remediation were deemed necessary.
Where can I find more detailed information on the Ivanpah-Control Project?
Southern California Edison’s draft Plan of Development is available in the documents section of the Bureau of Land Management’s ePlanning website (https://bit.ly/3knv8cm). The Plan of Development provides more details on the proposed design, construction, and operation of the Ivanpah-Control Project including measures to mitigate potential impacts to the human environment and comply with applicable land use management plans, policies, laws, and regulations.
Who are the Project participants?
Lead Agency: The Bureau of Land Management is the lead Federal agency for conducting the National Environmental Policy Act analysis for the Ivanpah-Control Project. The California Desert District will manage the analysis effort and will rely on expertise from the affected Bureau of Land Management field offices- Bishop, Ridgecrest, Barstow and Needles.
Proponent: The proponent, Southern California Edison, is a public utility that provides electric service to a population of approximately 15 million people within a 50,000-square-mile service area that encompasses 180 cities throughout Southern California.
California Environmental Quality Act Lead: The California Public Utilities Commission is the lead agency for conducting the California Environmental Quality Act analysis for the Project. The Bureau of Land Management will work with the California Public Utilities Commission throughout the process, though both entities will conduct their own analysis. For additional information on the California Environmental Quality Act and environmental impact report processes for the Ivanpah-Control Project visit the California Public Utilities Commission’s website at https://tinyurl.com/ivanpahcontrol.
Cooperating Agencies: The Council of Environmental Quality regulations provide that federal, state, and local agencies, and tribal governments, may serve as Cooperating Agencies, with agreement of the lead agency, during the National Environmental Policy Act process if they have either jurisdiction by law or special expertise (40 Code of Federal Regulations 1508.5). Cooperating Agencies provide information, comments, and technical expertise to the Bureau of Land Management. The following agencies have accepted Cooperating Agency status for the Project:
Federal: Army Corps of Engineers, Edwards Air Force Base, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Ft. Irwin National Training Center, Marine Corps Logistics Base, Barstow, National Park Service, Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, and United States Fish and Wildlife Service
State and Local: Inyo County and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
Native American Tribes: Native American tribes participate in consultation throughout the Project to address tribal concerns, including the presence of properties of traditional, religious, and cultural significance in the planning area. The Bureau of Land Management offered government-to-government consultation to 17 federally recognized and eight non-federally recognized Native American Tribes pursuant to Executive Order 13175 and other policies. Consultation and coordination with the tribes is ongoing.
Third Party Contractors: A contracting team, composed of North Wind Resource Consulting, LLC, Burns & McDonnell, and Galileo Project, LLC, will assist the Bureau of Land Management with preparation of an environmental impact statement.
What is an Environmental Impact Statement?
Under the National Environmental Policy Act, an environmental impact statement is prepared to ensure agencies consider the environmental impacts of their actions in decision making. It will provide full and fair discussion of significant environmental impacts and will inform decision makers and the public of reasonable alternatives that would avoid or minimize adverse impacts or enhance the quality of the human environment. The environmental impact statement is a public document, and the public is encouraged to provide input throughout the development of the environmental impact statement. An environmental impact statement informs Federal agency decision making and the public. See “A Citizen’s Guide to NEPA, Having Your Voice Heard,” at https://ceq.doe.gov/docs/get-involved/citizens-guide-to-nepa-2021.pdf for more information on the environmental impact statement process.
What is Public Scoping?
Public scoping is the process Federal agencies use to identify potential significant environmental issues deserving of study, narrow the scope of the environmental impact statement, and identify project modifications, mitigation, and preliminary alternatives to be evaluated in the draft environmental impact statement. The public scoping period begins with the publication of the Notice of Intent in the Federal Register. A series of public meetings are held during the scoping period to provide project and National Environmental Policy Act process information to the public, stakeholders, and special interest groups, as well as answer their questions and solicit input on potential issues, alternatives, and data sources. The times and locations for public meetings will be posted on the ePlanning website and through media outlets. The public is encouraged to provide comments and information on factors that explain why the issues raised are important to the consideration of potential environmental impacts and alternatives to the proposed action, as well as other impacts affecting the quality of the human environment.
What resources may potentially be affected?
Key issues will be identified during the scoping process and discussed and disclosed in the environmental impact statement analysis and decision document. However, based on internal scoping, the following may be key issues:
· Special status wildlife and vegetation species
· Visual resources
· Cultural resources
· · Disturbance in Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACECs)
How do I submit comments on the Project?
The BLM is not currently accepting comments on this project.
How to Comment Effectively
Your participation is an important part of the decision-making process. We need your feedback to identify issues that may occur if the Project moves forward. The most effective comments are those that provide useful information to the agencies. To make the best use of your input, here are some points to consider when making a comment about the Project:
Identify potentially affected resources, applicable laws, policies and regulations, or reasonably foreseeable actions relevant to the project.
Highlight information, data, and/or analysis the BLM might use when developing alternatives and considering the impact of the proposed project or alternatives.
Identify – based on factual evidence – potential deficiencies in the scope of analysis or methodology or assumptions proposed for use in the environmental analysis
Avoid comments that state, “I am in favor of this Project,” or “I am opposed to this Project.”
Remember that the more clear, concise, and relevant to the Project your comments are, the more effective and useful they will be in improving the environmental impact statement and affecting the Bureau of Land Management’s decision.
Make sure you submit your comments within the timeframe announced. This ensures the Bureau of Land Management will have all concerns documented for use in the environmental impact statement.
How can I stay informed about the Project?
· Visit the Project’s ePlanning website: https://bit.ly/3knv8cm
· E-mail a request to be added to the contact list for future updates and notifications: [email protected]