San Diego Gas & Electric has won regulatory approval to spend $381 million rebuilding and upgrading a 1950s-era substation in south Orange County and replacing a transmission line that serves the facility.
SDG&E said the California Public Utilities Commission’s 5-0 vote of approval Dec. 15 will lead to improved electric reliability and public safety, among other benefits.
“Delivering reliable energy is vital to increasing the region’s economic growth,” SDGE’s chief energy delivery officer, Caroline Winn, said in a news release. “Equally important is the fact that we are upgrading our infrastructure to minimize risk and enhance public safety.”
In addition to the substation and transmission line work, SDG&E’s South Orange County Reliability Enhancement project will involve replacing certain wood, steel and lattice towers with new steel poles that are more fire-resistant.
A CPUC staff report called the size of the San Diego-based utility’s investment “reasonable and prudent.” SDG&E customers will pay for the project with higher rates; the company will benefit financially by charging interest on its investment.
SDG&E is owned by Sempra Energy, a Fortune 500 energy services holding company based in San Diego.
