SAN DIEGO, Dec. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, in
a 5-0 vote, California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
approved San Diego Gas & Electric's (SDG&E) proposal to
construct the 'South Orange County Reliability Enhancement' project
that will substantially improve electric reliability to its
customers in the southern portion of Orange County, while also enhancing public
safety by providing greater protection against catastrophic
events and other threats.
Over the last three decades the energy demand in the southern
portion of Orange County has more
than tripled, putting a strain on the power grid during peak times
for customers. Designed with current and future energy needs in
mind, this exciting new project will support the needs of residents
and businesses, as well as technological advances that have taken
place over the last half-century.
"Once completed, this project will modernize the electric grid
by rebuilding a 1950s-era substation with advanced technologies
designed to strengthen the reliability of the power grid and limit
electric interruptions," said Caroline
Winn, chief energy delivery officer for SDG&E.
"Delivering reliable energy is vital to increasing the region's
economic growth. Equally important is the fact that we are
upgrading our infrastructure to minimize risk and enhance public
safety."
Today's decision will allow SDG&E to improve its
infrastructure to reliably serve the growing energy needs of homes
and businesses for the next 50 years. The approval also allows for
replacing select wood, steel and traditional lattice towers with
new fire resistant, steel poles, improving overall public safety in
the region.
The company's efforts to deliver the highest levels of safety
and reliability for its customers and the community are being
demonstrated across the region. Recently, the company began work in
the Cleveland National Forest to replace approximately 2,100
existing wood poles with fire-resistant, weatherized steel poles.
Once completed, this nearly $700
million, fire-safety enhancement project will ensure that
the majority of the power lines in San
Diego County's fire-threat zone will have been
fire-hardened.
SDG&E also received the 'green light' in October to
construct a new transmission project that will improve overall
system reliability, and is vital to meeting the energy needs of
customers in communities in north-central San Diego, including Mira Mesa, Scripps Ranch and the city of
Poway. The project will also help
integrate growing renewable energy being brought into the
system.
SDG&E is an innovative San
Diego-based energy company whose 4,300 employees go to work
every day to provide clean, safe and reliable energy to better the
lives of the people it serves in San
Diego and southern Orange
counties. The company has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency for leadership in addressing climate change, was
the first to meet California's
goal of delivering 33 percent of energy from renewable sources, has
fueled the adoption of electric vehicles and energy efficiency
through unique customer programs, and supports more than 600
non-profit partners. SDG&E is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy
(NYSE: SRE), a Fortune 500 energy services holding company based in
San Diego. For more information
visit sdge.com/newsroom or connect with SDG&E on Twitter
(@SDGE), Instagram (@SDGE) and Facebook.
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SOURCE San Diego Gas & Electric