SAN FRANCISCO - Pacific
Gas and Electric Company announced today that it has received approval
from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to begin electric transmission construction
projects on Path 15 and in the Tri-Valley area.
The Court, which must approve
all PG&E expenditures over $50 million, approved the utility's request
to begin these important multi-year transmission projects.
Path 15, a part of the electric
transmission grid near Los Banos, CA, is being upgraded by a consortium
led by the Western Area Power Administration. On October 18, 2001,
Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham announced a memorandum of understanding
among various public and private parties governing the financing
and co-ownership of the necessary Path 15 system additions, with
participants including PG&E, among others. Pacific Gas and Electric
Company's primary role in the project is to interconnect the transmission
lines being built with the utility's existing Los Banos and Gates
substations.
This Path 15 upgrade will
be of substantial benefit not only to California, but also to the
entire western grid. Under the terms of the decision released by
the Court on Friday, PG&E may enter into binding contracts and spend
up to $75 million in support of the Path 15 project.
The Court also gave approval
for PG&E to spend up to $136.9 million to build the Tri-Valley Capacity
Upgrade project.
Demand for electricity in
the Tri-Valley region - located just east of San Francisco - has
reached 98.6% of the system's capacity. Taking into consideration
the Tri-Valley region's existing residents and businesses, along
with the development that has already been approved by local governments,
electrical demand is projected to exceed the system's capacity.
The Tri-Valley upgrade is
designed to ensure continued reliability of the region's electric
power system for the area's residents and businesses. Communities
to be served by this project include the cities of Dublin, Livermore,
Pleasanton, and San Ramon, as well as neighboring unincorporated
parts of Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
Pacific Gas and Electric
Company sought court approval to begin these two projects last month
and the motions were unopposed. In addition, the utility's request
was supported by the Official Creditors' Committee.