Alright. Well, it looks like we are now at 10:00, so I'll go ahead and call this meeting to order. So we only have one item today, so, vice chair Waldo. I move item one for discussion. Alright. And, chairman Stafford of the Power Plant and Linesighting Committee, please describe the item. Good morning, chairman, vice chairman, commissioners. This is the line setting case two fifty seven. It's the application of APS or certificate of environmental compatibility for the Bianco transmission line project. The transmission line project consists of two two thirty kV,
approximately 2.75 mile long lines. The first will be built on a double circuit two thirty kV capable structures with 69 kV under build capability. We will connect the planned Bianco substation to the existing Santa Rosa Desert Basin transmission line in the Northeast, and the second line is a, another two thirty kV line built on double circuit two thirty five hundred kV cable structures that will connect the planned Yonkers Substation to the existing Santa Rosa Desert Basin line to the north.
Both of the two thirty kV circuits will be built on double capable structures in an effort to plan for future needs of the area. Circuit 1 will be built on structures capable of supporting another two thirty kV line in the future, and Circuit 2 will be built on structures capable of supporting a future 500 kV line. That certificate was approved by the committee 11 to zero. I'm available for any questions. Great. Thank you, sir. Staff, any comments from commission staff? Good morning, mister chair, vice chair, commissioners. Brent Baxter for staff. No comments from staff, and we're available to answer any questions.
Great. Thank you. APS. Good morning. Matt Thurstein appearing on behalf of Arizona Public Service Company, chairman Myers, vice chair Walden, commissioners. I thought this might be my first open meeting appearance in my pajamas, but I see we're on Webex, so I had to put on a a coat and a tie for the occasion. Appearing with me is miss Linda Benally. She's a senior attorney, at Pinnacle West law department, and mister Jason Spitzkopf, who is the manager of strategic transmission for Arizona Public Service. I think this this commission is well aware that Canal County is experiencing significant growth.
It's, if not leading the state, it's it's right up there in terms of business growth and residential growth. Canal County and in particular, the area around Casa Grande is now being considered a major tech or innovation hub hub that's due in part to its location, its, its proximity to the I 10, I 8, and the, planned State Route 505. It's also near rail service. So it's become an important location for companies that are developing chemicals and other materials that support
companies like TSMC or Intel and other high-tech, companies. It's also a major logistics hub for the reasons that I just mentioned. It's location to transportation. And it's that growth that's driving this project. The Bianco Transmission Project, as the chairman described, involves, siting and constructing two new transmission lines that will connect the new Bianco substation to the existing desert basin line. This area surrounding Casa Grande is served by the Casa Grande substation.
That substation is no longer adequate on its own to serve the growth in this area, and that's the reason for the new Bianco substation. And this project, the two two thirty kV transmission lines, will attach and plug in this substation to the grid, allowing it to serve the growth in the area. This project involved a significant amount of, early siting in terms of analyzing different routes and route segments that could use be used to develop a line or the two new line segments.
And that process was supported by an extensive public outreach and engagement process. The project team used three newsletters, that went out to over 4,000 area residents and landowners. The first news letter, was to publicize the first open house that took place in February. The second newsletter updated residents on the development of the project and alerted them to the second, in person open house that took place in June. And then the third newsletter that went out, contained and and showed residents the what would be the preferred routes that were presented
in our application and gave them information about this the siting committee hearing. I wanna note that those open houses took place over two evenings. They were scheduled from five to 7PM, again, on on two evenings to give folks an opportunity to show up, come and and and learn information from the project, ask questions. In addition to the newsletters that went out, the project team used, ads that were published in the local paper. They used emails that went out to, APS customers who provide their email address. They used social media that went out to a very wide area.
So significant efforts were made to publicize house, we also had a virtual open house that was visited by, I think, 455, unique users or folks. So the the outreach engagement effort was significant. And, through that process, we developed the two routes that were presented in the application and ultimately approved by the the siting committee. I think as the chairman mentioned the the the hearing took place over, I think, it was three days, and that included a tour where the committee went out and was driven to the project area,
saw the surrounding area, saw the the routes, but considered potential impacts, and that it helped inform their decision about the project. Impacts, and that it helped inform their decision about the project. Project the CEC for the project was unanimously approved by the committee, and we're here this morning to ask that you approve the the CEC for the project. And we're happy to answer any of your questions. Great. Thank you. Commissioner questions. Commissioner Marcus Peterson. Thank you, chairman. Thank you, mister Gerstein, for going through the various public events. I I read, with interest of detailed responses. I appreciate all that being included. I had a question for chairman Stafford.
Was there a special public comment session connected to the line signing committee hearing? Chairman, vice chair, commissioner, Watkins Peterson, yes, there was. We the standard practice of the committee is to hold a public comment session starting at 05:30PM on the first day of the hearing, And we we did such did so in this case. Okay. Great. What did anyone attend, and were there any comments? I believe, yes, there were several. I'd have to go back and look at the transcript. But I remember we had some people were concerned with the location and others that
came and spoke in support of the project. Okay. Thank you. If I can add to the chairman's comments oh, I'm sorry. Chairman Myers, vice chair Walden, commissioners, commissioner Peterson, the, there were two individuals who spoke at the public comment session at the linesiding hearing. One was a local developer who we have communicated with and worked with extensively on the project. The other was an area resident, who, frankly, expressed some hope that his development would be served by APS because I it's currently, being served by another,
local, utility provider. So those were the two comments that were heard at the at the siting hearing. And then I think, the, the application exhibit j outlines the various comments, and then it sounds like you had reviewed those. K. We responded to all those comments. Great. Thank you. No further questions. K. Thank you. Commissioner Thompson? No questions, chair. Thank you. Vice chair Walden? No questions. Thank you. Commissioner Lopez? I I do. Just for points of clarity, we talk about the different, the circuits and looking through the application stuff.
I just wanna validate because you talk about a two two circuits, but just wanna make sure that it's it's a single run of tools that you're gonna be using. And then it's gonna be in your exhibit too. You kinda show it a standard, two thirty kV line and then also a 500 kV line so that I again, I don't wanna make assumptions here, but what I'm reading inferring into this is that they would be the 500 k beam style monopoles that would be run-in. It won't be a single run of poles that can accommodate two circuits. Is that correct?
Chairman Myers, vice chair Walden, Commissioners Commissioner Lopez, there will be two separate pole lines, two separate transmission lines. One on the eastern side, I think it's referred to as Circuit 1 or I may have the numbers confused, but one will be constructed on double circuit capable structures that carry one 230kV circuit. The second line on the west side of the planned Bianco Substation will also be constructed on double circuit capable structures,
but those structures will are being manufactured and designed to carry the two thirty line that will be built as part of this project, but potentially a future 500 kV line. So Okay. Now okay. I'm sorry. Yeah. My confusion. Yeah. I was kinda seeing this as one full circuit, but you're okay. Now it's it's basically two coming in. You got one and two, and then one allowing for 501, only two fifty. Both of them double circuit. Okay. I got that. And then the, you talk about the 69 kV capable.
Is that gonna be also run at the same time, or is that, again, for future expansion of 69 kV? Yeah. Yeah. Chairman Myers, vice chair Walden, Commissioner Lopez, the line, the pole line on the eastern side that is built on double circuit capable structures that will carry two 230kV circuits, That will also be constructed to carry a 69 kV under build. The other, the Western circuit, will not carry the 69 kV under build,
but, again, is being constructed to carry a two thirty kV circuit and potentially in the future on a second 500 kV circuit. Okay. But is the 69 kV, is that going to be run initially, or is that for, again, future expansion? Let me ask, mister Spitzkopf, who's, peering with me, if he can, address the timing for this 69 kV circuit. Okay. Chairman, vice chairman, commissioner, the 69 kV circuit, the timing of that is currently under review.
It's, it could be added at the same time as this, line is constructed or at a later date, and it's mostly the the date on when we're gonna put it up is predicated on the growth of the area because the 69 k v line is is more specifically for load service for the specific area. So, while as I apologize. I can't definitively say yes or no, right, at this at this moment because it is influx with as the
land developers develop the manufacturing and other facilities that that are gonna move in there. Okay. Alright. That's all the questions I had, Chairman. Thank you. Alright. Thank you. And there was no public comment, so I kinda skipped over that. I don't see anybody on that would even give public comment. So with that, vice chair Walden, could you go ahead and move it? I move item one for a vote. Alright. Caroline, please call the roll. Yes. You're muted, Caroline. No Caroline today? Easy. There she is. Can you hear me now?
Yes. We can hear you. Okay. Good. Commissioner Lopez. Aye. Commissioner Thompson. Aye. Commissioner Peterson. Aye. I guess Peterson. K. Vice chair Holden. Aye. And chair Myers. Aye. And with a vote of five ayes, this item, passes. And, we are going to just go ahead and stay right where we are for the staff meeting that's coming up next, and I believe that adjourns our our regular open meeting or contingent open meeting. So thank you, everybody.