Royce Applauds Decision to Underground Chino Hills Transmission Lines

Press Release

In response to the decision by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to grant the request by the City of Chino Hills to underground a segment of Southern California Edison's Tehachapi transmission line, Representative Ed Royce (R-Fullerton), released the following statement:

"I applaud the CPUC's recommendation for Southern California Edison to remove the Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project towers and move the power lines underground. We have worked hard for many months to reach this conclusion, including holding congressional hearings to expose the dangers to property values and property rights and express the health and safety concerns at numerous town meetings.

"The community of Chino Hills has shown tremendous determination and passion in fighting the 198 foot tall, 500kV towers which were placed too close to homes, schools, and neighborhoods. I especially want to thank everyone we worked with, including Hope for the Hills, Mayor Peter Rogers, and Assemblyman Curt Hagman for their outstanding leadership and commitment to ensuring the voices of Chino Hills residents were heard."

Royce has been actively engaged in working towards alternatives to the towers. In 2012, as a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, Rep. Royce along with Rep. Gary Miller held a congressional field hearing in Chino Hills on the federal Housing Administration's guidelines for homes located near overhead high voltage transmission towers and lines. Over one thousand local residents turned out to voice their concerns, and the hearing included representatives from the Federal Housing Administration and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

In the Commission's statement on the ruling, CPUC President Michael Peevey said, "It's the dawn of a new era in transmission line planning in this state. In urban and suburban areas, we have to look anew at how we site transmission lines, and carefully weigh their role in fulfilling the state's energy goals against their impact on community values."

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