Southern California Edison Eldorado-Ivanpah Transmission Project

In pioneering the CPUC streamlining process, E & E has set the standard for efficient and thorough environmental review accomplished through a combination of teamwork, innovation, and initiative.  For CPUC and DOI’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM), E & E prepared a joint third-party EIR under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and an EIS under NEPA, evaluating the Eldorado-Ivanpah Transmission Project (EITP) of Southern California Edison (SCE).  The project, which spans the California/Nevada border in the Mojave Desert, involved removal of the existing, 36-mile, single-circuit 115-kV transmission line; its replacement with a double-circuit, 230-kV line; construction of a new Ivanpah Substation; and installation of redundant and diverse telecommunication facilities.  Through advanced coordination and proactive consultation, E & E’s EITP team facilitated early decision making on key issues and published a draft EIR/EIS in under 11 months and a final EIR/EIS in about 17 months.  CPUC approved the EITP in December 2010 and construction will begin in 2012. 

In recognition of their innovative work on the EITP project, BLM and E & E received the 2010 Environmental Planning Excellence Award, Federal Planning category, from the American Planning Association (APA).