The Sunrise Powerlink is a 117-mile, 500,000-volt transmission line linking San Diego to the Imperial Valley, one of the most renewable-rich regions in the Southwest United States. This $1.9 billion project endured a 5-year environmental review and permitting process in addition to an 18-month construction featuring both overhead and underground technology, disparate climates, and rough, remote terrain. Without exception, San Diego Gas & Electric’s (SDG&E) Sunrise Powerlink has been one of the most scrutinized transmission power line projects in California history.
The transmission itself was designed for 1,000 megawatts of power, or enough energy to serve 650,000 homes, delivering a significant amount of wind and solar power to San Diego. The Sunrise Powerlink has become a critical component to the future of California energy as SDG&E’s power has increasingly been derived from renewable resources. When SDG&E officially received final permitting for Sunrise, they signed well over 1000 MW worth of wind and solar renewable agreements. But before they could move forward with these agreements, Sunrise had to get the go ahead. This is where Chambers Group came in.
Chambers Group delivered both environmental permitting and extensive monitoring. Our biologists conducted reconnaissance-level surveys of several proposed routes to identify sensitive wildlife and plant species for future placement of electrical transmission lines. The project required identification of sensitive habitat and areas needing future focused surveys. To meet an accelerated schedule, numerous focused surveys and pre- construction surveys were required. Chambers Group assisted the construction team by performing surveys, having negotiations with agency staff, and providing up to 70 biologists per day to perform surveys and compliance monitoring duties.
These energy supply goals were as ambitious as they were prominent, and Sunrise Powerlink created the new standard for environmental permitting and monitoring in California.
Marblehead
The Sea Summit at Marblehead Development Project was a more than 10-year project dedicated to preparing a 250-acre site along the San Clemente beachfront for residential and commercial construction. Known as Orange County’s last coastal development, this sensitive and diverse site is home to an array of protected species such as Blochman’s dudleya, Coulter’s saltbush, and the California gnatcatcher, as well as containing wetlands, grasslands, and coastal sage scrub. Chambers Group was charged with the comprehensive role of revegetation, biological permitting, and monitoring compliance.
Chambers Group’s specific services included the preparation of the upland portion of the Habitat Management Plan (HMP) to protect, restore, and manage native grasslands, Coastal Bluff Scrub, the Blochman’s Dudleya Preserve, and approximately 70 acres of Coastal Sage Scrub located within the property. The mitigation plan described site preparation methods, plant and seed lists, plant installation techniques, and maintenance procedures for restoration of the upland habitats to be installed as required in the Biological Opinion. The HMP was designed to maximize the habitat value for the coastal California gnatcatcher and other species dependent on Coastal Sage Scrub vegetation as well as to enhance the functional value of the preserved/restored wetlands within the central and western canyons. Improved connectivity allowed wildlife movement between the two canyons. Chambers Group monitored the installation of more than 71,000 container plants and over 2,000 pounds of seeds – all of which were collected locally within 20 miles of the site.
The entire coastal development project reserved approximately 120 acres for open space, including 5 public parks and more than 4 miles of trails/walkways over Sea Summit’s coastal terrains and hills that take residents down to the ocean. Of the 120 undeveloped acres, about 100 acres have been preserved and are managed as natural open space providing habitat to sensitive and listed species. Besides supporting 6 sensitive plant species and 4 sensitive bird species, the restored habitat now supports 21 breeding coastal California gnatcatcher pairs – a huge number for any given site in Orange County in such close proximity to active development.
Chambers Group has implemented restoration and biological monitoring requirements outlined in the Project’s HMP and resource agency (United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), California Coastal Commission (CCC), California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB)) permits. During the spring and summer months, our biologists were on site 5 days a week. Work included revegetation/restoration, biological and construction monitoring, focused surveys, reporting, and agency coordination/permit compliance, all of which were required to achieve agency sign-off prior to being transferred to the Center for Natural Lands Management (CNLM).
