PG&E

CPUC Killed the Santa Cruz 115 kV Reinforcement Project

April 1, 2015 by Seb Frey

The folks from NOPOC (Neighbors Organized to Protect Our Community) have announced that the CPUC Killed the Santa Cruz 115 kV Reinforcement Project, which would have spoiled lovely Day Valley and Corralitos with huge overhead power lines. The CPUC (California Public Utilities Commission), PG&E and CAISO, which oversees the statewide power grid, agreed that the project was not needed to maintain the reliability of the power grid.

This victory would not have been possible without the enthusiastic support and generous contributions of concerned citizens which enabled NOPOC to hire legal and technical experts who refuted PG&E’s claims.

Here is a link to the CPUC’s decision:
http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M149/K915/149915253.PDF

Energy conservation and the growth of decentralized solar and wind power are making these massive transmission line projects obsolete. In fact, annual power consumption in Santa Cruz County declined 10 percent from 2006 to 2013. NOPOC warns that the community must remain vigilant, however, in case PG&E attempts to revive this project or proposes a similar project in the future.

NOPOC has scheduled a community meeting at the Corralitos Grange Hall on Tuesday, April 28, at 7:00 p.m. to update community members on the status of this project and to discuss next steps.

Re-Evaluation of the Santa Cruz 115 kV Reinforcement Project

November 8, 2014 by Seb Frey

The folks at NOPOC have some good news to share: PG&E has announced that it will be requesting that CAISO (California Independent System Operator) re-evaluate the need for the Santa Cruz 115 kV Reinforcement Project at this time.

While this does appear to be good news, NOPOC cautions that it is far too early to declare victory. Marco Romanini, a NOPOC committee member, wants to make sure everyone knows that “we are not sure what is happening behind the scenes and things really could go either way still.”

The CPUC Administrative Law Judge assigned to the project has instructed all parties (including NOPOC) to meet and confer, and will preside at a pre-hearing Conference (PHC) on December 12, 2014, at the California Public Utilities Commission, to consider dismissal of PG&E’s application to construct the project.

The status of the environmental review and release of the Draft Environmental Impact Report is currently on hold pending the December 12 PHC.

For details, visit the CPUC website.

NOPOC is conferring with its lawyer and power engineer to determine how to proceed, and will participate in the PHC while we continue to prepare for possible contingencies. We remain committed to protecting our community from the devastating effects of the Santa Cruz 115 kV Reinforcement Project in its current form.

NOPOC’s Drawing to Raise Funds

October 8, 2014 by Seb Frey

Saw-Whet Owl Illustration is the prize for the drawing

The grassroots Aptos organization Neighbors Organized to Protect our Community (NOPOC) is working to raise funds to support their fight against PG&E’s plans to install a series of massive steel power poles through one of the most scenic areas of Santa Cruz County. As part of that effort, they are having a drawing for a stunning piece of original art: an illustration of a Saw-Whet owl.

Any contribution of $25 or more gets you an entry in the drawing; each multiple of $25 gets you an additional entry (e.g. $100 gets you 4 entries). You can donate on-line via PayPal or drop a check in their mail. Click here for more information on the drawing.

NOPOC is very transparent about where the money goes, they have built a web page for that too. Their goal is to raise $45,000 by February 2015. If you’re interested in help preserve a beautiful slice of Aptos for future generations and appreciate fine art, consider making a donation today.

Santa Cruz 115kV Reinforcement Project

October 6, 2014 by Seb Frey

Santa Cruz County residents and concerned citizens have joined collectively in a new grassroots group, Neighbors Organized to Protect Our Community (NOPOC), to voice their issues concerning a proposed power line project. The neighborhood alliance believes the Santa Cruz 115kV Reinforcement Project as proposed by PG&E will have an adverse effect on the surrounding hills, wildlife, livestock, agriculture, and residents within the impacted areas of Day Valley, Aptos, Corralitos, Plesant Valley, and Watsonville.

According to NOPOC, the proposed project will see greater than eighty metal poles, many as tall as 10-story buildings, erected in rural residential neighborhoods. To put in these monumental steel structures, PG&E plans to assemble touchdown pads in an apple orchard and fly heavy cargo helicopters six days per week for 10 hours a day over properties, faculties, and companies for as much as 18 months. The venture could even require the destruction of greater than a hundred and fifty mature trees and the ongoing elimination of vegetation, which can adversely impression the ecosystem and the aesthetics of the area.

See also:

Aptos Gas Pipeline Test Starts Monday

August 15, 2014 by Seb Frey

Just in time for school, PG&E will begin a six-week project to test a gas pipeline on Wallace Avenue in Aptos. The test begins on Monday – also known as the first day of school for nearby Aptos Junior High. Work is to commence at 8:30 AM, with trucks, backhoes, and excavators; classes also start at 8:30 AM – so if you’ve got anyone coming to class on Monday, you might want to plan to get their early.

The work is supposed to last two months, finishing around October 1. At some points during the work, residents and passers-by may smell gas, which PG&E says is typical. Nevertheless, if you are concerned, contact PG&E’s 24-hour hotline at 800-743-5000.

See also: Santa Cruz Sentinel article

Environmental Impact Report to be Required for Power Project

January 28, 2014 by Seb Frey

The California Public Utilities Commission has reversed its initial finding and has now decided – to the relief of many Aptos and Corralitos residents – that a proposed new 115kv power transmission project will require an environmental impact report. They will be holding a Public Meeting regarding the project on Wednesday, January 29, 2014 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Corralitos Grange Hall, 165 Little Corral Way.

For more information, read:

http://www.tpgonlinedaily.com/eir-required-aptoscorralitos-115-kv-power-transmission-project/