The Western Area Power Administration (Western) delivers reliable, cost-based hydroelectric power and related services within the central and Western United States (U.S.). Western is one of four power marketing administrations within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), whose role is to market and transmit electricity from multi-use water projects. Western’s transmission system carries electricity from powerplants operated by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC).
Western’s service area covers 1.3 million square miles, and its wholesale power customers provide service to millions of consumers in 15 Western states. Western operates and maintains more than 16,800 miles of transmission lines from its four regional offices in Billings, Montana; Phoenix, Arizona; Loveland, Colorado; and Folsom, California. Western markets power from these regions and its Colorado River Storage Project Management Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Sacramento area is within Western’s Sierra Nevada Region (SNR).
The SNR maintains and operates numerous substations and more than 1,200 miles of transmission lines. These transmission lines are interconnected to other Sacramento area utility transmission lines, including those owned and operated by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD). By law Western first markets power that is in excess of the Federal project requirements to preference customers, such as Federal and state agencies, Native American tribes, electric cooperatives, municipal utilities, public utility districts, irrigation districts, and water districts.
Western sells wholesale electricity to more than 70 customers in central and northern California and Nevada as part of the Central Valley Project (CVP) and the Washoe Project. Much of that power is allocated and delivered to five large customers: SMUD, Silicon Valley Power, and the cities of Redding, Roseville, and Palo Alto.
Western prepared the Sacramento Area Voltage Support (SVS) Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in compliance with Federal laws, regulations and guidelines, principally the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR Parts1500-1508), the DOE NEPA Implementing Procedures (10 CFR Part 1021), and other applicable regulations. Western prepared the Final EIS, which presents the Preferred Alternative and responses to comments received during the 45-day Draft EIS comment period. Western published the Record of Decision on January 12, 2004.
Voltage support consists of elements of the electrical power system that help sustain or keep the electrical system operating to meet the long-term load demand. These elements include additional generation (new power sources—especially those at or near the load), increased transmission capacity, and improved system equipment.
Population growth and land development in the Sacramento area have steadily increased load demand for electric power. The increased demand has reduced the security and reliability of the interconnected transmission system. Security refers to the ability of the electric system to withstand sudden disturbances, such as electric short circuits or unanticipated loss of system elements such as a substation. Reliability is the assessment of the frequency, duration, and magnitude of interruptions for a given power system. The power system security and reliability problems became evident to California residents as rolling blackouts hit the state in 2001 due to California Independent System Operator Coordination (ISO) and Investor-Owned Utility's (IOU's) inability to procure energy to meet their load responsibilities. Transmission enhancements will also improve generation interconnection and operational flexibility. Transmission enhancements, therefore, must be part of any long-term solution.
Power system studies conducted by the Sacramento Area Transmission Planning Group (SATPG) and the River City Transmission Group (RCTG) concluded that transmission additions in the Sacramento area are necessary to alleviate voltage sag and ensure power system reliability. Results of the first phase of the SATPG study indicated that construction of a new 230,000-volt (230 kilovolt [kV]) circuit could provide short-term (3 to 5 years) system support to the region (SATPG 2000). The study concluded that long-term solutions (greater than 5 years) for area transmission security must also be developed. These solutions must include options to construct additional local generation or 500-kV transmission lines. Conclusions from the RCTG draft report also supported the need for additional transmission infrastructure to meet load growth and to provide for future generation (RCTG 2002-Draft).
The Draft EIS analyzes environmental impacts of the Proposal Action and alternatives identified for improvement of electric system reliability and voltage support for the Sacramento area. Findings from the Draft EIS provided a basis for decisions on whether to proceed and, if so, how to proceed. Western would implement appropriate solutions under its Reclamation Law authority.
Public involvement is a vital part of the decision-making process for this SVS EIS. Western developed a public involvement program to provide multiple opportunities for comment during the SVS EIS process of public scoping, alternative formulation, alternative evaluation, and decision-making. The program is intended to guide Western through a collaborative, systematic, decision-making process with four primary purposes:
The public participation process was designed to heighten public awareness and to encourage open communication throughout the development of the SVS EIS. The process was designed for flexibility and responsiveness to the issues and needs of the public, Western’s customers, and public agencies.
During the period of September 12, 2000 through September 21, 2000, Western’s SNR conducted a series of four scoping meetings in Lodi, Marysville, and Folsom, California. Public scoping comments were collected from August 8 through October 2, 2000.
Western held two public workshops (March and September 2001) to address public comments on the selection of alternatives under consideration. Western held three public hearings in December 2002, after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the Notice of Availability (NOA) for the Draft SVS EIS. The public hearings were held prior to the conclusion of the 45-day public comment period ending on December 30, 2002. Comments received on the Draft EIS during the 45-day comment period and Western's responses are presented in Chapter 3 of the Final EIS.