Aspen managed the environmental review process for Sunrise Powerlink, which was one of the largest and most controversial of California’s recent high-voltage transmission projects. Sunrise Powerlink was a proposal to construct a new 150-mile high-voltage transmission line through portions of San Diego and Imperial counties in California. Aspen managed the preparation of an EIR/EIS for this highly controversial project under the direction of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and California Public Utilities Commission.
Aspen developed a wide range of alternatives including 300 miles of transmission corridor alternatives and other electricity generation alternatives that would achieve the project’s objective to import power, including renewable energy, from the Imperial Valley into San Diego County. The project crosses seven jurisdictions including BLM, unincorporated Imperial County, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California Department of Parks and Recreation, unincorporated San Diego County, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, the City of San Diego, and the City of Poway. In addition, many of the alternative routes were located on National Forest System lands within Cleveland National Forest. Aspen managed a team of 18 subconsultants to fully analyze 27 alternatives at the same level of detail as the proposed project.
Aspen prepared a Mitigation Monitoring Compliance and Reporting Program to ensure compliance with mitigation measures approved in the Final EIR/EIS, as well as with the terms and conditions associated with the BLM right-of-way. Aspen conducted the pre-construction compliance review to verify that pre-construction mitigation requirements were adequately satisfied. Aspen is providing on-site environmental monitoring during project construction to ensure compliance with project mitigation measures and approved permit conditions and compliance plans.
