REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on the Initial Determination of Wildfire Risk of the Remote Transmission Assets for the City of Santa Clara dba Silicon Valley Power
Report
BACKGROUND
Effective January 1, 2017, the California Public Utilities Code, Division 4.1, Chapter 6 Wildfire Mitigation, Code Section 8387 requires each publicly owned utility (POU) governing board to make an determination of whether its overhead electric lines and equipment pose a significant risk of catastrophic wildfire based on historical fire data and local conditions. While POU governing boards must independently make this determination based on all the relevant information, the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) Fire Threat Map is the most important piece of analysis in this process. The Fire Threat Map was adopted by the CPUC on January 19, 2018. The CPUC fire map has two tiers; Tier 2 fire-threat areas depict areas where there is an elevated risk (including likelihood and potential impact on people and property) from utility associated wildfires; and Tier 3 fire-threat areas depict areas where there is an extreme risk (including likelihood and potential impact on people and property) from utility associated wildfires.
Silicon Valley Power (SVP) owns Remote Transmission Assets, including, but not limited to, the wires, the poles, and other equipment needed to safely maintain and deliver power generated from generation assets located outside the City limits as more fully described as follows:
• SVP owns and operates the Grizzly Hydroelectric Project (Grizzly), a part of the
Bucks Creek Project, FERC No. 619, located in Plumas County, California, as set forth in the Grizzly Development and Mokelumne Settlement Agreement by and between Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and Santa Clara, dated March 8, 1990, as amended (Grizzly Agreement). Through the project, SVP owns approximately 3.4 miles of a 115 kV transmission line, extending from the Grizzly powerhouse to, and including the end structure and disconnect switch, near Bucks Creek Powerhouse and all other facilities necessary for interconnection with PG&E's transmission system. PG&E maintains the transmission line.
• SVP owns and operates the Black Butte Hydroelectric Project (Black Butte), FERC No. 3190 dated May 5, 1983 and amended June 5, 1987. Through this project, SVP owns a 9.5 mile long 60 kV transmission line interconnecting the project to PG&E’s existing 60 kV line near the City of Orland, California. SVP maintains the transmission line.
• SVP owns the Stoney Gorge Hydroelectric Project (Stoney Gorge), FERC No. 3193 dated July 15, 1983. Through this project, SVP owns a one mile-long, 60 kV transmission line connecting the project with PG&E’s Elk Creek Substation north of the powerhouse. SVP maintains the transmission line.
• SVP owns the High Line Canal Hydroelectric Project (High Line), FERC No. 7252 dated July 17, 1984. Through this project, SVP owns an approximately 75 foot long 12 kV three phase transmission line that interconnects with existing PG&E lines. SVP maintains the transmission line.
• SVP owns has 4.98 percent ownership interest in a 230 kV double circuit transmission line between Castle Rock Junction and Lakeville Substation in the Geysers, as set forth in the Agreement of Cotenancy in the Castle Rock Junction-Lakeville 230 kV Transmission Line, dated June 1, 1984. This line supports SVP’s share of the Geothermal Generation Project with the Northern California Power Agency (NCPA). PG&E maintains the line.
Under existing law, local publicly owned electric utilities and electrical cooperatives are under the direction of their governing boards. Existing law requires each local publicly owned electric utility and electrical cooperative to construct, maintain, and operate its electrical lines and equipment in a manner that will minimize the risk of catastrophic wildfire posed by those electrical lines and equipment. Existing law requires the governing board of a local publicly owned electric utility or electrical cooperative to determine whether any portion of the geographical area where the utility’s overhead electrical lines and equipment are located has a significant risk of catastrophic wildfire resulting from those electrical lines and equipment and, if so, requires the utility, at an interval determined by its board, to present to its board for approval those wildfire mitigation measures the utility intends to undertake to minimize the risk of its overhead electrical lines and equipment causing a catastrophic wildfire. Existing law authorizes a governing board of a local publicly owned electric utility or electrical cooperative to determine that a fire prevention plan is prepared and submitted to, and which was approved by, a federal agency as a license condition meets these requirements for those areas covered by the plan.
On September 21, 2018 Senate Bill 901 was signed into law. This bill requires those utilities to prepare wildfire mitigation measures if the utilities’ overhead electrical lines and equipment are located in an area that has a significant risk of wildfire resulting from those electrical lines and equipment. The bill requires the wildfire mitigation measures to incorporate specified information and procedures. It further requires the local publicly owned electric utility or electrical cooperative, before January 1, 2020, and annually thereafter, to prepare a wildfire mitigation plan, except where its governing board determined that its federally approved fire prevention plan met the otherwise applicable requirements. The bill requires specified information and elements to be included in the plan and the local publicly owned electric utility or electrical cooperative needs to present each plan in an appropriately noticed public meeting, accept comments on the plan from the public, other local and state agencies, and interested parties, and verify that the plan complies with all applicable rules, regulations, and standards, as appropriate. The bill requires the local publicly owned electric utility or electrical cooperative to contract with a qualified independent evaluator to review and assess the comprehensiveness of its plan.
DISCUSSION
SVP has evaluated Grizzly, Stoney Gorge, and the Black Butte transmission assets by overlaying the 2018 CPUC Fire Threat Map Tier 2 and Tier 3 fire-threat areas. The Grizzly 3.4 mile long transmission line is in a Tier 3 fire-treat area. The Stoney Gorge 1 mile long transmission line is located in a Tier 2 fire-threat. The Black Butte 9.5 mile long transmission line and the High Line 75 foot long transmission line are not located in the Tier 2 or Tier 3 fire-threat map. The 230 kV Castle Rock Junction-Lakeville line is in the Tier 3 fire-threat area map.
Based on the remote asset locations within the fire-threat map area and maintenance responsibilities, SVP does have varying degrees of risk related to these remote transmission assets, and requests the City Council, as governing board to SVP, to determine that portions of the remote asset locations has a significant risk of catastrophic wildfire, as required under existing law. SVP will return to City Council with a wildfire mitigation plan as required under both existing law and SB 901 before January 1, 2020.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(a) as it has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment
FISCAL IMPACT
A determination of wildfire risk has no impact on the City fiscally. The creation of a SVP Wildfire Mitigation Plan consolidates and formalizes established SVP preventive maintenance procedures and practices whose expenses are already accounted for in the 2018/19 Annual Operating budget.
COORDINATION
This report has been coordinated with the Finance Department and City Attorney’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any report to council may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov> or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
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RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Approve the determination of wildfire risk of the Remote Transmission Assets and direct the City Manager to develop a SVP Wildfire Mitigation Plan.
Staff
Reviewed by: John Roukema, Chief Electric Utility Officer
Approved by: Deanna Santana, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. SVP Transmission Asset Wildfire Threat Map