FAQs

RTRP is the Riverside Transmission Reliability Project. The City of Riverside is working with Southern California Edison to establish a second power connection to the statewide power grid.

Riverside is the only large city in Southern California to have only one connection at 69kV to the statewide power grid. If that one connection to the grid goes down, Riverside will have a serious and lengthy power outage. The need for this project was demonstrated clearly in 2007, when transmission lines that feed Riverside were damaged and power was out across the city for over four hours. This cannot be allowed to happen again. More recently, in summer 2018, weeks of hundreddegree temperatures and a natural gas shortage threatened Riverside's ability to meet peak summer demand. Riverside residents and businesses must be able to count on having power when needed.

Southern California Edison was directed by the California Independent System Operator to install a second connection to the state power grid in 2006, more than 12 years ago. Since 2006, Riverside and Edison have worked to comply with this order, receiving local government approvals and prevailing in lawsuits brought against the project.

n order to move forward, RTRP requires a thorough Environmental Impact Report (EIR) approval process through the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). The CPUC published the final version of the Subsequent EIR on October 2, 2018. The CPUC is expected to vote on RTRP in late 2019 or early 2020. CPUC’s RTRP project website, can be found here: CPUC.CA.gov/Environment/info/panoramaenv/RTRP/index.html

Riverside supports the legal settlement which requires Southern California Edison to support the undergrounding of a portion of the project directly adjacent to an approved residential development. This compromise is referred to as the “Hybrid Project.” Further undergrounding could mean millions of dollars in additional costs.

The RTRP Hybrid Project is the best route for new power lines. The majority of this route in Jurupa Valley parallels existing power lines already built by Southern California Edison, and the remainder of the route consists of lines running parallel and adjacent to the I-15 freeway.

The City of Riverside and its partners – businesses, schools, shopping centers, residents, hospitals, etc. – are working together to ensure Riverside has sufficient and reliable power. We are actively advocating on behalf of ratepayers to the CPUC. To join this growing coalition of supporters, visit: RiversidePublicUtilities.com/RTRP.

The EIR studies additional undergrounding options only north of Limonite Avenue. The CPUC will determine the ultimate configuration of RTRP among the alternatives analyzed in the Subsequent EIR, consistent with the Public Utilities Code.

Undergrounding the remainder of the RTRP would increase the costs compared to the RTRP Hybrid Project. Riverside has consistently supported cost-effective transmission planning, and the RTRP Hybrid Project is the most cost-effective option for all ratepayers. Riverside is committed to protecting ratepayers from any additional financial burden that could be created by additional undergrounding.

The alternatives analyzed in the EIR – including the Hybrid Project favored by Riverside – do NOT include low-voltage alternatives that would have increased impacts to Corona and Norco. Those low-voltage alternatives were considered and then eliminated as part of the EIR process.

Riverside has two power plants inside the city that are used primarily to offset peak demands during the summer, when Riverside’s power demand typically exceeds what can be delivered through our current single connection to the state grid. These power plants, however, are a short-term fix rather than a long-term solution and cannot replace the reliability of a second connection to the statewide power grid.