Project Alternatives
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NOPOC has been asking PG&E and the CPUC to look at all alternatives to this project, so far PG&E has only responded with alternative routes for this solution as opposed to alternative solutions to the stated problem. For this reason NOPOC has retained a power engineer to examine the problem as stated by PG&E and look for a less impacting solution. We are confident that solutions with less environmental and community impact exist, and hope to be able to present this to the CPUC by the time the Draft EIR is released.
Meanwhile, lets look at the alternative routes for this project: |
Note: This picture which is from PG&E contains a serious mistake in it, in as much as the yellow line, which represents the potential underground segment currently in the picture goes all the way to the Rob Roy Substation. However, in PG&E's response to the CPUC about the underground alternative they only suggest to underground till just before the intersection of McDonald Rd and Freedom Blvd, approximately half the distance represented on this map.
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The CPUC has deemed all these alternatives as both Engineering feasible, which means they meet the project objectives, and CEQA feasible, which means they comply with the California Environmental Quality Act regulations. PG&E prefers the green alternative above and has stated reasons against all the other alternatives except for the underground one. NOPOC has stated on many occasions that it is not our intention to push this project off to some other neighborhood. We wish to have the need of the project justified and have all alternative solutions to the state problem considered.
Underground Alternative
On February 26, 2014 the CPUC issued "Request for Data #8" to PG&E asking that they include more detail of the alternative routes originally listed by PG&E on the Proponent's Environmental Assessment (PG&E's application for the project). Specifically called out by the CPUC was that PG&E examine the possibility of under-grounding the Cox-Freedom Segment of the project. On April 4, 2014 PG&E issued a "Response" to the CPUC Request for Data #8 which addressed the alternative routes and indicates PG&E's preference for the proposed route. Again NOPOC has stated on many occasions that it is not our intention to push this project off to some other neighborhood. PG&E Response also stated that an analysis of under-grounding would follow in a later response. On June 10, 2014 PG&E issues a "Supplemental Response" to the CPUC Request for Data #8 detailing the alternative of under-grounding portions of the Cox-Freedom Segment.
What follows is the map describing the route. Note that the underground section does not go all the way to Rob Roy as indicated in their map of alternatives, but stops on McDonald Rd quite a bit before Freedom Blvd.
On February 26, 2014 the CPUC issued "Request for Data #8" to PG&E asking that they include more detail of the alternative routes originally listed by PG&E on the Proponent's Environmental Assessment (PG&E's application for the project). Specifically called out by the CPUC was that PG&E examine the possibility of under-grounding the Cox-Freedom Segment of the project. On April 4, 2014 PG&E issued a "Response" to the CPUC Request for Data #8 which addressed the alternative routes and indicates PG&E's preference for the proposed route. Again NOPOC has stated on many occasions that it is not our intention to push this project off to some other neighborhood. PG&E Response also stated that an analysis of under-grounding would follow in a later response. On June 10, 2014 PG&E issues a "Supplemental Response" to the CPUC Request for Data #8 detailing the alternative of under-grounding portions of the Cox-Freedom Segment.
What follows is the map describing the route. Note that the underground section does not go all the way to Rob Roy as indicated in their map of alternatives, but stops on McDonald Rd quite a bit before Freedom Blvd.
