IT’S OVER!

The California Public Utilities Commission on July 29, 2010 voted to approve Southern California Edison Company’s application for its San Joaquin Cross Valley Loop transmission line, to follow Alternative No. 2 Route that begins northeast of Woodlake, travels west through Elderwood, and connects to the 100-year old Big Creek-Rector high voltage line 10 miles north of Visalia.

The Commission also rejected an amendment that would have directed SCE to share the cost of establishing a parkway on the right-of-way through the City of Visalia.

While PACE and others encouraged the PUC and Edison to select Alternative Route 3, the decision avoids the monumental negative impacts the Proposed Project would have had on Alternative Route 1.

WE THANK EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS CONTENTIOUS ISSUE THROUGH ITS LONG, ARCANE PROCESS!

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Subject:  Is the end in sight?
July 21, 2010

As it stands now, A08-05-039 – Southern California Edison Company’s
application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity to construct
the San Joaquin Cross Valley Loop Transmission Line - 
is on the California Public Utilities Commission’s
July 29, 2010 Agenda!    Page 39 of the Pdf document.

(see PDF at http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/events/CommMeeting_NoticeA.htm)

This does not guarantee final action on that date. It may be held or withdrawn as late as the day of the meeting or even during the meeting. Stay tuned!

Item 42 – considers the proposed decision authored by ALJ Hallie Yacknin that “grants SCE permission to construct it’s San Joaquin Cross Valley Loop Transmission Project using the environmentally superior project Alternative 2 as identified in the EIR; adopts a maximum project cost of $122.182 million; and Closes the proceeding.”

Item 42a – considers Commissioner Bohn’s Alternative decision. The vote will “Approve, with modifications, the City of Visalia’s proposal for jointly funding and developing a multi-use green pathway within the transmission corridor that runs through Visalia.”

                        THE PUBLIC MAY ACCESS THE MEETING

• By phone: 800-857-1917, passcode: 92105
• Live stream video broadcast via computer, go to http://www.californiaadmin.com/cpuc.shtml

BULLETINS WILL BE POSTED VIA E-MAIL TO THE PACE LIST IN THE EVENT OF CHANGES TO THE JULY 29 MEETING AGENDA.

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Our trip to SF for the May 25 presentation of oral arguments before the ALJ and a quorum of Commissioners was well received. Four of the five Commissioners attended and we had more than 50 anti-Edison people in the room speaking and observing. More than once, several commissioners remarked how nice it was to see the interest and turnout from the community.

Therefore, it was quite a surprise to see the Edison application listed as item #33 on the agenda for the Commission’s regular meeting June 3. Fortunately, before the 5 pm deadline June 2, Commissioner John Bohn asked that it be pulled from the agenda and held until July 8. We’re told this means that Mr. Bohn will propose an alternative decision, which could be as simple as modifying the existing proposed decision to supporting a completely different alternative. One guess is that since Mr. Bohn’s expertise is in water he may propose additional protections for wells and irrigation infrastructure.

If the Bohn alternative is substantially different from the one proposed by ALJ Yacknin, a 30-day comment period is usually allowed – but not always. This delay at least provides us the opportunity to weigh in at appropriate junctures in “this arcane process” – those are the words were used Commissioner Grueneich in the May 25 session.

We wait and see. In order for the CPUC to switch to Route 1, 3 or 3A an alternative decision with that recommendation must be submitted before the July 8 commission meeting, Stay tuned. Watch your e-mail for further updates.

Let us (PACE) know your thoughts
through our blog.

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Proposed Decision - Click here!

PACE leadership is preparing its next moves. “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over!”

The California Public Utilities commission released the text of Administrative Law Judge Hallie Yacknin’s proposed decision on May 4, 2010 with the following summary notice:

Proposed Decision GRANTING SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON COMPANY A CERTIFICATE OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY TO CONSTRUCT THE SAN JOAQUIN CROSS VALLEY LOOP TRANSMISSION PROJECT. Opening comments, which shall not exceed 15 pages, are due May 24, 2010. Reply comments,which shall not exceed 5 pages, are due 5 days after the last day for filing comments.

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March 16, 2010

PACE is now heavily involved in the judicial process for SCE’s application (A.08-05-039) for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity Process (CPCN) for its San Joaquin Cross Valley Loop.

The environmental, or CEQA, portion of the process ended Feb. 25 when Hallie Yacknin, the CPUC’s Administrative Law Judge in the case, accepted the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) into the evidentiary record of the proceeding. The FEIR listed Alternative Route 2 as the Environmentally Preferred path for the line.

Judge Yacknin ruled that Parties submit Opening Briefs no later than March 11, 2010 and that Reply Briefs be filed on March 25, 2010.

PACE met the Opening Briefs deadline. We stated that the FEIR contained fatal flaws in its discussion of the Alternative 3/3A route, and lacked consistency in evaluating the three routes. Similar submissions were made by the City of Farmersville, Paramount Citrus Assn. and California Farm Bureau Federation on behalf of Tulare County Farm Bureau. The City of Visalia also filed a brief without a route preference, but requests special consideration for use of the utility’s Right of Way within its city limits.

Click here to view the Southern California Edison brief. They continue to demand approval for the Proposed Project (Alt. Route 1)! Edison now insists that all alternatives except #1 are infeasible! They demand the CPUC approve Route #1 because they say the Rector circuit is in imminent danger of failure!

Let us (PACE) know your thoughts
through our blog.

Transmission Line Draws Opponents and a Proposed Route to Avoid Farms

Friday, September 4, 2009
Copied with permission from California Energy Markets
An Independent News Service From Energy Newsdata

Read More...

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NOW, FOR OUR BIGGEST AND BEST SHOWING
………..  WE NEED YOU ONE MORE TIME! ……….

Saturday,July 23, 2009
Massive Rally and Fundraiser

Read More...

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Don't be STUMPED By Edison

Saturday,May 23, 2009
Massive Rally and Fundraiser

Read More...

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2 New Edison Power Line
Options Go Over Farmland

Thursday, Feb. 26, 2009
By Lewis Griswold / The Fresno Bee

Read More...

Two more routes over farmland for a proposed high-power transmission line in Tulare County are being considered by the California Public Utilities Commission, bringing to six the number of possible routes.

Opponents of Southern California Edison's proposed Cross Valley Loop said they still favor another route that travels over rangeland instead of cropland.

"They've avoided Exeter, Farmersville, Kaweah Oaks and the scenic corridor, but the two new routes do the same as the others -- it cuts through intensely farmed lands," said farmer John Kirkpatrick....

PACE Never Lost Momentum

The Foothills Sun-Gazette
Wednesday, January 7, 2009

There were many stories in 2008 that ignited passion for a short time and then fizzled out. But this year's Story of the Year burned bright the entire year in a power struggle between the people of eastern Tulare County and the public utility of Southern California Edison.

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Getting Renewable Power to the People

David R. Baker, Chronicle Staff Writer
Sunday, December 28, 2008

The Southern California desert could produce a gusher of renewable energy. Strong sunlight bathes its open plains, even in winter. Powerful winds stream through its mountain passes. Fractures in the earth along the San Andreas Fault heat pools of underground water - the perfect fuel for geothermal power plants.

Read More...