PG&E will host a series of open house meetings in South County to inform residents and answer questions about the proposed “South County Power Connect” expansion of its power grid—a project that includes a new substation in southern Santa Clara County.
The project is in its early planning and outreach stages, according to PG&E spokeswoman Mayra Tostado. The utility company hopes to gain approval for the expansion from the California Public Utilities Commission by 2019, after which construction will begin.
Not only does PG&E plan to build a new electricity substation, the utility company proposes two new transmission lines to connect the substation to the power grid. It also intends to upgrade existing lines in the area.
PG&E has not identified a preferred location for the new substation, Tostado said. Site selection will be part of the planning stages that will continue over the next three years. The CPUC, which has sole jurisdiction in California over the siting of transmission lines and substation projects, will decide the final location and route following a review process that provides numerous opportunities for public input and an environmental study.
The company says the system expansion and upgrades will improve efficiency, reliability and safety of electrical service for 43,000 customers in South County.
“South County Power Connect is a key component of our efforts to help meet the needs of the region’s residents and support continued economic growth in the region,” reads a statement from PG&E. “The region’s rapid growth has driven the need for new investments in the electric system. The power grid in this area does not have the capability to reliably serve the significant growth that is projected over the next 10 years.”
The electricity provider cited the growth of the wine and agricultural industries in the region as contributors to the need for utility improvements.
The open house meetings will take place at the following times and locations in South County:
• 4 to 6 p.m. Sept. 22, at the Wings of History Museum clubhouse, 12777 Murphy Ave., San Martin;
• 5 to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 24, at Las Animas Veterans Park Recreation building, 400 Mantelli Drive, Gilroy;
• 4 to 6:30 p.m. Sept. 28, at the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center, El Toro Room, 17000 Monterey Road, Morgan Hill.
