Los Banos-Gates Transmission Project

PG&E submitted an application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the Los Banos-Gates Transmission Project (or the Path 15 Project) to the California Public Utilities Commission requesting approval for installation of an 84-mile long 500-kV transmission line between PG&E’s Los Banos Substation and Gates Substation, both located in Fresno County). The project also included upgrades to PG&E’s substations and to a 230-kV transmission system south of the Gates Substation.

The Path 15 Project was developed in response to transmission constraints that existed between northern and southern California under certain circumstances. These transmission constraints contributed to rolling blackouts that were implemented when insufficient power was available to serve demand. As a result, Aspen needed to prepare an EIR for the project on an extremely accelerated schedule. A previous EIR had been prepared for the Path 15 project when it was considered as a component of a larger statewide transmission project. Therefore, the EIR prepared by Aspen for the CPUC was a Supplemental EIR, and utilized the project route and alternatives from that document.