SAN DIEGO, May 05, 2005 -- San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has selected an eastern connection for its proposed new 500-kilovolt (kV) transmission line that will improve grid reliability, reduce energy costs and provide access to renewable energy sources. While no specific route has been identified at this point, the line, if approved, would tie into SDG&E’s existing power grid through an eastern connection from the utility’s Imperial Valley substation to an as-yet-undetermined point in the middle of SDG&E’s service territory or load center.
Over the past six months, a subcommittee of the Southwest Transmission Expansion Study (STEP) group, representing a cross-section of community, regulatory and market stakeholders, evaluated 18 different potential interconnections based on criteria that included reliability, access to renewable resources, timing, cost and economic benefits, among other key factors. No specific routes were considered.
“The selection of a preferred direction for this transmission line is a milestone in our effort to build this vital link to our region’s electricity network,” said David L. Geier, SDG&E’s vice president of electric transmission and distribution. “The STEP Technical Working Group reviewed the technical merits of each of the possible alternatives in an open, collaborative stakeholder process and narrowed the options to four that provide the greatest benefits to the region. SDG&E identified the eastern connection as the most feasible in terms of cost, timing and benefits to customers, including access to renewables and the ability to get it in service by 2010.”
STEP’s Technical Working Group consists of 22 stakeholder members and 13 separate entities – state agencies, regulators, and market participants including utilities from California, Arizona and Mexico, along with independent consultants and generators. In addition to the California Independent System Operator (Cal-ISO), the group includes: the California Energy Commission, Comision Federal de Electricidad in Baja California, , Southern California Edison, the Imperial Irrigation District and Arizona Public Service, among others.
In October 2004, SDG&E initially presented nine possible interconnections for study, which eventually grew to 18 alternatives, based on the feedback from the Technical Working Group. Earlier this week, SDG&E presented the results of the technical studies and economic analysis of the various options to the full STEP group. The utility will submit a final report of the findings to the group by the end of May.
“There’s no question that the addition of a major interconnection in Southern California will help ease the transmission congestion that continues to pose economic problems for the region,” said Armie Perez, chairman of the STEP group and the director of grid planning for the Cal-ISO. “We are pleased to be part of the STEP process, and we look forward to the next steps for this project.”
The next phase of the process to license this new major transmission facility is to begin the specific routing studies and preparations for the necessary regulatory filings. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) must ultimately approve the project to allow construction of the new line.
“We have completed a key technical step toward building a new line for our region that will bring with it multiple benefits for customers,” said Geier. “Next, we must continue to work proactively with the communities we serve in a collaborative process to gather feedback to ensure we arrive at the best solution for our region’s energy future.”
SDG&E is a regulated public utility that provides safe and reliable energy service to 3.3 million consumers through 1.3 million electric meters and more than 800,000 natural gas meters. The company’s service territory encompasses 4,100 square miles in San Diego and southern Orange counties. Exceptional customer service is a priority of SDG&E as it seeks to enhance the region’s quality of life. SDG&E is a regulated subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE). Sempra Energy, based in San Diego, is a Fortune 500 energy services holding company. To learn more, go to www.sdge.com.
Contact Information:
Stephanie Donovan
San Diego Gas & Electric
(877) 866-2066
www.sdge.com