Proposed substation has city, Edison at odds
By Carissa Marsh cmarsh@theacorn.com

Southern California Edison has proposed building a new substation and overhead subtransmission line on the western edge of Simi Valley, but the project has residents and city officials concerned over the eyesore that would result from possible aboveground power lines.

City Manager Mike Sedell said the city's main issue with the proposal is aesthetics.

"We're concerned with the visibility of any such substation in the entryway of the city," Sedell said. "Anything along city streets should be undergrounded."

On Aug. 27, SCE hosted an open house at California Lutheran University to present project plans to residents, answer questions and get feedback. Of the 80 to 90 people that showed up, region manager Chris Coronel said many urged SCE to consider going underground.

The company understands residents' desire to see power lines go below ground, Coronel said, but cost and feasibility are important considerations too.

"We're an overhead utility, No. 1, and the cost would go up substantially if we were underground," he said. "We're not against (going) underground, but that cost will be borne by those who are benefiting, and are they going to want to see a spike in their bill?"

Sedell said the city doesn't agree with SCE using cost as an excuse for not going below ground.

"The city is not of the opinion that it is appropriate for them to cause visual blight in our city in order to save a few dollars," he said.

Coronel said that burying the lines makes it more difficult for crews to troubleshoot, diagnose and fix problems, which means longer delays for residents during a power outage.

According to SCE, the project is needed in order to meet the increasing demand for electrical service in Simi, Thousand Oaks and adjacent unincorporated areas of Ventura County. The power company estimates that demand will exceed operating capacity at existing facilities as early as summer 2010.

SCE is considering two potential routes for the project. The preferred route would have the substation located on the south side of Olsen Road in Thousand Oaks.

The fourandahalfmilelong subtransmission route would begin near Read and Moorpark roads, continue east along the border of Thousand Oaks and the Tierra Rejada greenbelt and travel up Esperance Drive near the property line of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

For this route, SCE would replace about 70 wood poles with lightweight steel poles and build about 58 additional poles that would be 65 to 85 feet in height.

The alternative route places the substation at Madera Road and W. Country Club Drive in Simi.

The five-mile-long route would begin near Olsen Road and Sunset Hills Boulevard and travel east on Olsen Road—which turns into Madera Road—and end at Madera Road and Royal Avenue.

The alternative route would pass by Wood Ranch, whose original homeowners paid for underground utilities when they bought their homes. For this alternative, SCE would have to build about 147 steel poles.

Coronel said the first route is preferred because it would have the least impact on residents and would allow SCE to utilize existing structures.

Sedell said the city is fine with either route as long as it goes underground but that the first route may be best because the construction would not disrupt city streets.

Simi resident Diane Grizard, however, is strongly against SCE's preferred route, which she said would spoil the panoramic views around the Reagan Library.

"It seems that we've put so much energy and effort into creating a beautiful library . . . and (when visitors) turn around there's going to be giant power lines," she said. "To have it destroyed by something that doesn't need to be—because there is an alternative route—it's just wrong."

Calls to the Reagan Library for comment were not returned.

Comment cards that were provided at the open house will be reviewed by the project manager, and if an overwhelming number of residents want to go underground, the project team will look at the cost and feasibility of doing so, Coronel said.

The proposed project will go before the City Council for review probably by late October or November, according to Sedell.

Coronel said that SCE expects to file an application with the California Public Utilities Commission in December for approval of the substation and transmission line project.

For more information, visit www.sce.com/presidential.