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1 RiversideCA.gov
1 RiversideCA.gov
RIVERSIDE TRANSMISSION RELIABILITY
PROJECT WORKING GROUP UPDATE
City Council
June 6, 2023
RiversideCA.gov
2 BACKGROUND
• On January 17, 2023, City Council voted to
1) Form a working group consisting of federal, state, and local leaders to identify and secure funding sources for further undergrounding of Riverside Transmission Reliability Project and provide an update in May or June 2023, and the final report to City Council no later than October 24, 2023; and 2) Request the City to take the lead with Councilmember Conder and Hemenway serving as members.
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3 BACKGROUND
RTRP Historical Timeline Highlights:
June 2006 –California Independent System Operation (CAISO), the independent organization responsible for planning the statewide transmission grid, conducted studies concluding a need for the project.
February 2013 – City Council certified Final EIR.
April 2015 – Southern California Edison (SCE) filed a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) application with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for approval to construction the project.
RiversideCA.gov
4 BACKGROUND
RTRP Historical Timeline Highlights:
January 2017 – application deemed complete by CPUC.
2018 – Supplemental EIR published by CPUC and subsequently approved in March 2020.
March 2020 - CPUC granted SCE a CPCN, authorizing SCE to construct RTRP as currently designed. Funding for RTRP project was also approved for the portion of the project from Miraloma Substation (outside the City) to the new Wildlife Substation (in the City) in the amount of $521 million (City’s portion is 1.7% of this total). It is anticipated that the City will incur $200 million to redesign and upgrade the City’s electrical distribution system citywide.
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5 DISCUSSION
• Working Group met five times during March, April and May 2023. • Attendees included elected officials or their representatives:
– Congressmen Calvert and Takano
– Assemblymembers Cervantes, Essayli, Seyarto
– Senator Roth
– Councilmembers Conder and Hemenway and City staff
– Two Norco Councilmembers and Norco staff
– Norco Consultant Steve Larson of California Strategies • Discussions appear to have focused on how best to pursue funding assistance and the CPUC petition process
RiversideCA.gov
6 DISCUSSION
• Norco City Council approved an agreement in March with California Strategies to collaborate with the Working Group • California Strategies lead consult ant is former Executive Director of the CPUC
• California Strategies is the same consultant used by the City of Riverside to complete an analysis that was presented to City Council on November 15, 2022
• In April, Norco employed Downey Brand LLP for legal services to advocate for undergrounding of RTRP powerlines
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7 DISCUSSION
• City staff has confirmed that SCE has not started any construction work on the project
• The expected delay is anticipated to move the date of completion from 2026, per the approved project terms,
to 2028-2029 (if construction starts soon in 2023)
RiversideCA.gov
8 That the City Council:
1. Receive an update from RTRP Working Group members
Councilmembers Conder and Hemenway;
2. Approve the immediate discontinuation of the RTRP Working Group;
3. Support the Riverside Transmission Reliability Project as approved by the CPUC in March, 2020 and move forward to meet established Project benchmarks and construction schedule; and
4. Reaffirm the City’s partnership with Southern California Edison and the City’s desire to move the Project forward without further delay.
RECOMMENDATIONS
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