Southern California Edison's proposed substation project outside the western edge of the city must undergo a full environmental review, the California Public Utilities Commission decided last week.

The hotly contested proposal has generated concern from residents and local officials who've said the station's accompanying aboveground power lines would be an eyesore.

The Presidential Substation project includes plans for the construction of a 3.5-mile, 66-kilovolt subtransmission line. The substation would be located on a 4-acre vacant parcel on the south side of Olsen Road in Thousand Oaks, less than two miles from the Reagan Library.

According to Edison, 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.

After gathering input from residents and city leaders, Edison filed an application with the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) in December for a permit to construct the substation. The commission is the state regulatory agency that sets electricity rates and issues permits for the construction of certain electric facilities.

The PUC could have approved or denied the project as filed but determined a full environmental impact report is needed because the proposed substation could result in "potentially significant environmental impacts," according to a Feb. 17 letter from the commission.

Rudy Gonzales, SCE region manager for eastern Ventura County, said Edison filed a "proponent's environmental assessment" along with its application that evaluated the environmental impacts of the substation project. Still, he said, he's not surprised the commission has decided to conduct a full EIR.

"At this point, we're just going to let the process work through and just hope that we can address all the issues that have been raised by residents in the community," said Gonzales, who's been working on the substation project since its inception.

The review will address impacts of construction, operation and maintenance of the proposed project and will analyze possible alternatives for the substation site and power line route.

Simi Valley Assistant City Manager Laura Behjan said the city is pleased that the PUC will review all the environmental and aesthetic issues associated with Edison's proposal.

"We're in support of anything that would allow for there to be a full review of the project and give the public as much input into the process as possible," Behjan said.

The city's position on the project is that the substation should be screened from view and the overhead power lines that would cross Olsen Road need to be grounded.

"That's a gateway into our community and we believe we need to keep the aesthetic, open nature intact," Behjan said.

The city will be submitting a letter to the PUC to reiterate its concerns in the hope that they will be taken into consideration as the project moves forward, she said.

The public can send comments on the scope and content of the EIR to Juralynne Mosley, Presidential Substation Project, c/o Environmental Science Associates, 1425 N. McDowell Blvd., Ste. 105, Petaluma, CA 94954. Comments can also be faxed to (707) 795-0902 or e-mailed to presidentialsub@esassoc.com.

The public comment period ends at 5 p.m. Thurs., March 19. For more information on the Presidential Substation project, visit www.sce.com/presidential.