trtp

In 2002, California Senate Bill 1078 was signed into law requiring all investor-owned utilities to increase their sale of electricity produced by renewable energy sources to 20% by 2010.
In 2009 the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC), on a 5-0 vote approved Southern California Edison’s (SCE) Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project (TRTP)

Designed to bring more renewable energy to the region, the route begins in the Tehachapi Mountains in Kern County, traverses the Antelope Valley, San Gabriel Mountains, San Gabriel Valley, and ends in the Inland Empire. One leg of the TRTP project slices through the Puente-Chino Hills Wildlife Corridor with new taller towers and widened right-of-way. These new 500 kV towers will cause temporary, permanent, and cumulative impacts to the biology and aesthetics of the hills. The PUC failed to require Edison to specify adequate mitigation for impacts to these protected lands.

Farther along the route, the 200 foot tall 500 kV lines were approved to go through several Chino Hills neighborhoods along an existing right-of way (with inactive towers) wide enough only for 220 kV lines.

HFE worked with the City of Chino Hills in a cooperative effort to design an alternate (Alt 4CM) on existing right of way through Chino Hills State Park, the result of which avoided the neighborhoods and reduced the number of existing towers in the Park.

Quick Facts

• In December 2009 the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved Edison's TRTP which adds tall new towers and cuts through much of the Puente-Chino Hills Wildlife Corridor. 
• Soon after approval, Edison leapfrogged construction and quickly built the new highly controversial 500 kV towers on a small easement through neighborhoods in the City of Chino Hills.
• The drawings on paper did not do justice to what the massive towers would actually look like. The new towers caused an uproar in the City. Residents organized and hammered the PUC and SCE.
• Under attack for the apparent lapses in oversight by the PUC in the PG&E gas explosion in San Bruno in late 2010, PUC President Peevey came to see the new towers near 185 homes and was disturbed by what he saw.  
• As one of only two remaining commissioners and as the overseer of the project, on November 10, 2011 he ordered SCE to look at other alternatives to the towers in the neighborhoods, including undergrounding and the Alternative 4CM route developed with HFE.  

• Angry residents effectively gained the interest and attention of the PUC now that the real impacts could be seen.
• On November 10, 2011 the PUC ordered Edison to take a new look at alternatives through the neighborhoods in the City of Chino Hills and also ordered Edison to stop construction pending a Commission decision on Chino Hills’ Application for Rehearing.
• HFE supports a new look at the route through the State Park as long as adequate mitigation is provided for the temporary, permanent, ongoing, and cumulative impacts.
• SCE’s response and analysis is due January 10th, 2012
• Follow this link for more information.
  

Relationship to the Corridor
The TRTP lines traverse the entire Puente-Chino Hills.

View a map of the TRTP Overview.

• Disrupted Core Habitat
  With more wildland urban interface, edge effects make it harder for wildlife to forage and find safe places to mate and raise their young. The widened Edison right of way and the taller towers fragment the landscape across the entire hills.
  
  
• Includes Rare Habitats
  The hills where the transmission lines are being enlarged contain threatened coastal sage scrub and rare oak and walnut woodlands.
  
  
• Contains Critical Habitat
  A number of rare and endangered species live in coastal scrub habitats including the endangered California gnatcatcher.
  
  

• Edison's Intent to Build
  In the fall of 2007, Edison provided public notices to the communities in the Puente-Chino Hills of its intent to build a massive new transmission project through the hills.
  
  On the western side of the hills, the transmission lines required additional right of way to accommodate the new taller towers in the protected lands in Whittier and La Habra Heights.
  
  On the eastern end of the hills, in neighborhoods in the City of Chino Hills, Edison deemed that the existing 150 foot right of way, intended for 220 kV lines, was adequate so the residents of Chino Hills and the City began fighting this alignment.
  
  
• Creating Alternative 4CM
  The City's consultants proposed a number of alternatives that traversed the State Park but which damaged the Park’s biology and viewshed. Not knowing whether the Park would be forced by politics to approve a damaging alignment, HFE began working with the City to try to come up with a better alternative. It became known as Alternative 4 CM.
  
  This Alternative would have reduced the number of towers, lines, and spur roads in Park by realigning the existing lines in the Park and removing other ones altogether. It also proposed a substantial monetary mitigation package for acquisition, restoration, and management.
  
  Nevertheless State Parks opposed this route and ultimately, the PUC decided there were elements of unpredictability in this Alternative with which they did not want to cope.
  
  
• Legal Challenges
  After the PUC decision the City of Chino Hills produced three legal challenges. They filed suit in Superior Court in San Bernardino County claiming that Edison is overburdening its easement. They lost this suit and have filed an appeal with the State Supreme Court, which is still pending. Chino Hills also filed an appeal to the PUC itself asking for a rehearing.
  
  With a new governor elected in 2010, three of the five commissioners who voted for SCE’s preferred alignment were no longer on the PUC. During the environmental and hearing processes it was demonstrated that Edison had failed to fulfill its obligations to remove approximately 7 miles of inactive towers in the State Park. This obligation stemmed from a lawsuit and subsequent settlement with Hills For Everyone back in 1982.
  
  
• Tower Removal Obligation
  In December 2009, Edison signed a formal agreement with the Department of Parks and Recreation outlining the steps to remove these towers in 2010, some 27 years late. Using helicopters to reduce the footprint of the removal project, Edison took these towers down in the fall and winter of 2010. We consider this a significant though belated victory to improve the park’s views and visitor experience. (see SCE 1982 settlement agreement project)

Close Up of TRTP Alignment (391 KB - PDF)