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Decision No. C16-0627
RECEIVED
JUL 1 3
WELD COUNTY
BEFORE THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF COI
RWAMIQNErr
PROCEEDING NO. 16M -0009E
IN THE MATTER OF THE DESIGNATION OF ELECTRIC UTILITY TRANSMISSION
FACILITIES FOR WHICH AN APPLICATION TO OBTAIN A CERTIFICATE OF PUBLIC
CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY IS REQUIRED OR THE FILING OF A FORMAL
DETERMINATION THAT NO CERTIFICATE IS REQUIRED.
DECISION REGARDING
CERTIFICATION OF FACILITIES
Mailed Date:
Adopted Date:
July 7, 2016
July 6, 2016
I. BY THE COMMISSION
A. Statement
1. Rule 3206(d) of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission's (Commission) Rules
Regulating Electric Utilities, 4 Code of Colorado Regulations 723-3, requires each Colorado
electric utility to file with the Commission, no later than April 30 of each year, information on
proposed new construction or extensions of transmission facilities for the next three calendar
years.
2. The following utilities filed Rule 3206 reports into this proceeding:
• Black Hills/Colorado Electric Utility Company, L.P.
• Grand Valley Power
• Intermountain Rural Electric Association, Inc.
• Public Service Company of Colorado
• Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc.
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2016-2237
Before the Public Utilities Commission of the State of Colorado
Decision No. C16-0627
PROCEEDING NO. 16M -0009E
3. Not all the utilities that filed Rule 3206 reports have proposed new construction or
extensions of transmission facilities for the next three calendar years.
4. Commission Decision No. C16 -0400-I issued May 11, 2016 provided notice of
filings, informed parties that specific information of each utility's filings was on file with the
Commission, and established an opportunity for interested parties to file comments on or before
June 13, 2016.
5. New projects that were filed in 2016 under Rule 3206(d) are listed below by
utility with a brief description of each project:
Black Hills/Colorado Electric Utility Company, L.P. Inc. (Black Hills)'
• West Station 115 kV Substation Upgrades, to increase the terminal ratings
of the substation. Black Hills requested that the Commission find this
project to be in the ordinary course of business and therefore not require a
certificate of public convenience and necessity (CPCN).
• Rattlesnake Butte 115 kV Substation Terminal, to add a new terminal
to the substation and convert the circuit breaker configuration to
accommodate the Peak View Wind Project, which was approved in
Decision No. C15-1182, effective November 6, 2015. Black Hills
requested that the Commission find this project to be in the ordinary
course of business and therefore not require a CPCN.
Public Service Company of Colorado (Public Service)
• Southwest Weld Expansion Project Participation consisting of a joint
filing with Tri-State Generation and Transmission, Inc. (Tri-State), to
participate in Tri-State's Southwest Weld Expansion Project.
• Ault — Cloverly 230/115 kV transmission line, consisting of approximately
20 miles of new transmission in northeast Colorado, originating from the
Western Area Power Administration Ault Substation and terminating at a
new Public Service Substation, Cloverly, on the northeast edge of Greeley.
The primary purpose of this project is to replace the existing 44 kV system
in the Greeley area with higher voltage transmission.
' Black Hills also included the West Station — West Canon 115 kV Line and North Canon Substation
project in its filing for information purposes. It did not request a ruling from the Commission on this project at this
time. Black Hills also filed an addendum to its original filing on June 17, 2016.
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Before the Public Utilities Commission of the State of Colorado
Decision No. C16-0627
PROCEEDING NO. 16M -0009E
• Weld — Rosedale 230 kV transmission line, consisting of approximately
13 miles of new 230 kV transmission between the Public Service Weld
Substation and the Public Service Rosedale Substation. This project
is associated with the replacement of the 44 kV system in the Greeley
area, increase load serving capability, and also will allow for the
interconnection of future resources.
• Milton — Rosedale 230 kV transmission line, consisting of approximately
seven miles of new 230 kV transmission between the Public Service
Rosedale Substation and the proposed Milton Substation, near Greeley.
This project will facilitate the replacement of the 44 kV system in the
Greeley area, increase load serving capability, and accommodate the
interconnection of future resources.
■ Rush Creek — Missile Site 345 kV transmission line project consists of
approximately 40 miles of 345 kV transmission between Missile Site
substation and a new Rush Creek switching station, and another 50 miles
of transmission line between the proposed Rush Creek 1 and Rush Creek
II facilities, and a new Rush Creek Switching Station. This project would
enable the interconnection of the proposed Rush Creek I and Rush Creek
II wind generation facilities.2
• Wolcott 40 MVAR 230 kV Shunt Reactor, consisting of installing
40 MVAR shunt reactors on the 230 kV bus inside the Wolcott Substation
to improve voltage performance in the region. This project replaces the
Foidel Creek Shunt Reactor project approved in Decision No. C15-0590.
Public Service requests that the Commission rule that a CPCN is not
required for this project.
Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc. (Tri-State)
• San Luis valley — Poncha 230 kV #2 Project, consisting of upgrading the
San Luis Valley transmission system to Poncha to include a second
230 kV transmission line to mitigate existing transmission constraints and
reliability issues in the San Luis Valley upon a loss of the existing
San Luis Valley to the Poncha 230 kV line.
• Tyrone Tap and Tyrone Substation consists of a 115 kV switch and
structure, and a single span tap line from existing Ludow Tap — Pinon
Canyon 115 kV substation to the new Tyrone Substation in Las Animas
County, CO, to allow for the interconnection of a 30 MW solar generating
facility. Tri-State considers the project to be in the ordinary course of
business.
2 The CPCN application for this project was filed in Proceeding No. 16A -0117E on May 13, 2016.
Before the Public Utilities Commission of the State of Colorado
Decision No. C16-0627
PROCEEDING NO. 16M -0009E
6. Commission Rule 3206(b)(I) states that transmission facilities designed at 230 kV
or above, even if initially operated at a lower voltage, require a certificate of public convenience
and necessity (CPCN), unless the facility is a radial transmission line designed at 230 kV or
above serving a single retail customer and terminating at that customer's premises.
7. Pursuant to Commission rules, the Commission finds that Public Service
Company of Colorado's (Public Service) Southwest Weld Expansion Project Participation
project, the Ault — Cloverly 230/115 kV Transmission line project, the Weld — Rosedale 230 kV
transmission line project, the Milton — Rosedale 230 kV transmission line project, and the Rush
Creek — Missile Site 345 kV transmission project each require a CPCN or a formal determination
that no CPCN is required.
8. Pursuant to Commission rules, the Commission finds that the Tri-State Generation
and Transmission Association, Inc. (Tri-State) San Luis valley — Poncha 230 kV #2 Project shall
require a CPCN or a formal determination that no CPCN is required.
9. Commission Rule 3206(b)(II) (A) and (B) states that transmission facilities
designed at 115 kV or 138 kV require a CPCN if the facilities do not meet the noise and
magnetic field thresholds established in Commission rules, or if the Commission determines that
the facilities are not in the ordinary course of business. Commission Rule 3206(d) allows
utilities to request a decision that certain projects are in the ordinary course of business and do
not require a CPCN.
10. Pursuant to Commission rules, the Commission finds that the Black Hills West
Station 115 kV Substation Upgrades and Rattlesnake Butte 115 kV Substation Terminal projects
are in the ordinary course of business and therefore do not require a CPCN.
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Before the Public Utilities Commission of the State of Colorado
Decision No. C16-0627
PROCEEDING NO. 16M -0009E
11. Pursuant to Commission rules, the Commission finds that the Tri-State Tyrone
Tap and Tyrone Substation project is in the ordinary course of business and therefore does not
require a CPCN.
12. Commission rules generally require a CPCN for transmission facilities designed
at 230 kV or above. The Commission may waive applicable rules and not require CPCNs for
specific projects, such as the addition of 230 kV transformers or other similar equipment inside
of existing substations that would otherwise require a CPCN. Public Service requested that the
Commission rule that the Wolcott 40 MVAR 230 kV Shunt Reactor project not require a CPCN
and provided justification for this request. The Commission will waive Rule 3206(b)(I) for this
project. The Commission finds that no CPCN shall be required for the Wolcott 40 MVAR
230 kV Shunt Reactor project.
II. ORDER
A. The Commission Orders That:
1. A Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN), or a formal
determination that no CPCN is required, shall be required for the following Public Service
Company of Colorado projects:
a. Southwest Weld Expansion Project Participation
b. Ault — Cloverly 230/115 kV Transmission
c. Weld — Rosedale 230 kV Line
d. Milton - Rosedale 230 kV Transmission
e. Rush Creek - Missile Site 345 kV Transmission
2. A CPCN, or a formal determination that no CPCN is required, shall be required
for the following Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc. project:
a. San Luis valley — Poncha 230 kV #2 Project
Before the Public Utilities Commission of the State of Colorado
Decision No. C16-0627
PROCEEDING NO. 16M -0009E
3. The following Black Hills/Colorado Electric Utility Company, L.P. Inc. projects
do not require a CPCN and are in the ordinary course of business:
a. West Station 115 kV Substation Upgrades
b. Rattlesnake Butte 115 kV Substation Terminal
4. The following Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc. project
does not require a CPCN and is in the ordinary course of business:
a. Tyrone Tap and Tyrone Substation
5. Commission Rule 3206(b)(I) is waived for the following Public Service
Company of Colorado project. This project does not require a CPCN and is in the ordinary
course of business:
a. Wolcott 40 MVAR 230 kV Shunt Reactor
6. The CPCN filings or applications for formal determinations that no CPCNs are
required shall include, but shall not be limited to:
a. A map showing the general area or actual locations where facilities will be
constructed, population centers, major highways, state boundaries, county
boundaries;
b. Electric one line diagrams including substation one line diagrams;
c. Information on alternatives studied, costs for those alternatives, criteria
used to rank or eliminate alternatives;
d. Justification for the preferred alternative, including technical and/or
economic studies;
e. Demonstration that the public convenience and necessity of Colorado
consumers require granting of the application;
f. With respect to electromagnetic fields, a report of prudent avoidance
measures considered and justification for the measures selected to be
implemented; and
g.
A report describing actions and techniques relating to cost-effective
noise mitigation with respect to the planning, siting, construction, and
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Before the Public Utilities Commission of the State of Colorado
Decision No. C16-0627 PROCEEDING NO. 16M -0009E
operation of the proposed transmission construction or extension,
including computer studies which show the potential noise levels
expressed in dB(A) and measured at the edge of the transmission line
right-of-way.
7. The 20 -day period provided for in § 40-6-114, C.R.S., within which to file
applications for rehearing, reargument, or reconsideration begins on the first day following the
effective date of this Decision.
8. This Decision is effective on its Mailed Date.
B. ADOPTED IN COMMISSIONERS' WEEKLY MEETING
July 6, 2016.
(S EA L) THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
OF THE STATE OF COLORADO
ATTEST: A TRUE COPY
-.,". )0e0„ --
Doug Dean,
Director
JOSHUA B. EPEL
GLENN A. VAAD
FRANCES A. KONCILJA
Commissioners
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