San Francisco, CA…Proposed Project: Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is proposing to replace outdated copper conductors (wires) and their supporting structures within an approximately 35-mile utility corridor between PG&E’s Stanislaus Powerhouse in Tuolumne County and Dodds Road in Stanislaus County. PG&E is making a system-wide effort to replace old copper conductor within its transmission system; replacing it with new conductor will improve reliability for almost 75,000 residences and businesses in the region. At the same time, replacing the lines will reduce wildfire risk in this largely tier-two fire hazard area and facilitate delivery of hydroelectric power from the Stanislaus River. Most of this corridor contains two parallel 115 kV power lines, one double-circuit and one single-circuit, which extend from the powerhouse through Calaveras County and eventually split from each other in Stanislaus County north of Oakdale. To minimize customer electric service outages during construction, the double-circuit line will become a single-circuit line and the single-circuit line will become a double-circuit line where the lines run parallel to each other. The project will include the replacement of approximately 393 existing lattice steel towers and 19 steel poles with approximately 391 lattice steel towers and 19 tubular steel poles. Existing structures ranging from 50 to 130 feet tall will be replaced with new structures approximately between 72 and 145 feet tall. As with the existing lines, marker balls will be installed on some wires to comply with Federal Aviation Administration requirements, and non-intrusive safety lighting may be added to taller structures. The taller structures are needed to comply with CPUC General Order 95 ground-to-conductor clearance requirements while ensuring proper separation of consolidated circuits and accommodating hilly topography.

The project extends almost entirely through rural, mountainous terrain. It begins at PG&E’s Stanislaus Powerhouse (Camp 9 Road) in unincorporated Tuolumne County, where the parallel double-circuit and single circuit lines immediately cross westerly over the Stanislaus River into Calaveras County, and then continue west and southwest for approximately 7 miles. The alignment crosses State Route Highway 4 at Angels Road, and continues in a southwesterly direction for approximately 4 miles, crossing State Route Highway 49 and through a rural area within the City of Angels Camp. The parallel lines then continue over and avoid Angel Creek and Thompson Creek, heading southwest for 8 miles, crossing State Route Highway 4 at Rock Creek Road. The lines continue for approximately 10 miles through rural land in Calaveras and Stanislaus Counties, running adjacent to State Route Highway 4. The two lines reach a junction in rural farmland ½-mile south of Dunton Road, where the single-circuit Stanislaus-Melones Sw Sta-Manteca 115 kV Line continues west for approximately 1.5 miles, ending at Milton Road. The Stanislaus-Melones-Manteca No. 1 and Stanislaus-Manteca No. 2 115 kV lines continue southwest from the junction through rural land for approximately 5.5 miles, running adjacent to Woodward Reservoir and crossing 26 Mile Road to Dodds Road, where the replacement project ends. The utility corridor spans the Stanislaus River, New Melones Lake, and several creeks and unnamed ephemeral drainages, but no work is planned in stream channels or riparian habitats.

Helicopters will be used to facilitate construction in undeveloped areas. Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2023, or as soon as practicable after project approval, with completion in 2025, or as soon as possible after construction begins.

Electric and Magnetic Fields (EMF): PG&E will employ “no cost” and specified “low cost” measures to reduce public exposure to EMF in accordance with California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Decision 06-01-042 and the “EMF Design Guidelines for Electrical Facilities” prepared in compliance with that decision. The following measures are proposed for this project:
• Increase the height of overhead lines in areas with nearby residences more than otherwise required to reduce EMF strength at ground level;
• Optimize phase configuration by “cross-phasing” individual circuits to cancel magnetic fields.
Exemption from CPUC Permit Requirement: CPUC General Order 131-D, Section III.B.1, exempts a utility from the CPUC’s requirement to file an application requesting authority to construct if a project meets specific conditions. This project qualifies for the following exemption(s):
b. “the replacement of existing power line facilities or supporting structures with equivalent facilities or structures.”

Additional Project Information: To obtain further information on the proposed project, please call PG&E’s Project Information Line at (415) 973-5530.

Public Review Process: Individuals or groups may protest the proposed construction if they believe that PG&E has incorrectly applied for an exemption or that the conditions set out in Section III.B.2 of General Order 131-D exist;
a. There is reasonable possibility that the activity may have an impact on an environmental resource of hazardous or critical concern where designated, precisely mapped and officially adopted pursuant to law by federal, state, or local agencies; or
b. The cumulative impact of successive projects of the same type in the same place, over time, is significant; or
c. There is a reasonable possibility that the activity will have a significant effect on the environment due to unusual circumstances.
Protests should include the following:
1. Your name, mailing address and daytime telephone number.
2. Reference to the CPUC Advice Letter Number and Project Name.
3. A clear description of the reason for the protest.
4. Whether you believe that evidentiary hearings are necessary to resolve factual disputes.
***Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, PG&E is currently unable to receive protests or comments to this advice letter via U.S. mail or fax. Please submit protests or comments to this advice letter to EDTariffUnit@cpuc.ca.gov and PGETariffs@pge.com***
Protests for this project must be filed by November 17, 2021 at the following address:
Director, Energy Division
ED Tariff Unit
California Public Utilities Commission
505 Van Ness Avenue, Fourth Floor
San Francisco, California 94102
With a copy mailed to:
David Kraska, Law Department
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
P.O. Box 7442
San Francisco, California 94120
PG&E must respond within five business days of receipt and serve its response on each protestant and the Energy Division. Within 30 days after PG&E has submitted its response, the CPUC Executive Director will send you a copy of an Executive Resolution granting or denying PG&E’s request and stating the reasons for the decision.
Assistance in Filing a Protest: If you need assistance in filing a protest, contact the CPUC Public Advisor:
email: public.advisor@cpuc.ca.gov or call: 1-866-849-8390 (toll-free), or (415) 703-2074, or TTY (415) 703-5258.
Public Comment: Even if you do not want to file an official protest, you may still comment on the request. to do so, send your comments to the Energy Division at the address noted above. Please reference Advice Letter 6382-E