Riverside Transmission Reliability Project (RTRP)

The Riverside Transmission Reliability Project (RTRP) will provide the City of Riverside with a critical second power connection to the California electric grid. The City of Riverside is working with its partner, Southern California Edison, to establish the second power connection to the statewide power grid in order to meet the needs of additional power capacity and to serve existing and projected electrical demand in the city. This project will ensure Riverside’s hospitals, trauma centers, jails, fire stations, traffic signals, universities, schools, colleges, businesses and families have reliable energy should there be any type of natural disaster, accident, or any other unanticipated event.

Video

Learn why Riverside's second connection to the grid is so critical.

Map

Learn about route and our need for expanded capacity.

FAQ

Answers to the questions you may have about RTRP.

Why is it important?

Currently, all of RPU's imported energy comes through a single power connection from Southern California Edison's (SCE) Vista Substation, located in the city of Grand Terrace. Through that connection, only a certain amount of energy, 557 megawatts (MW), can reach the city.

If the electrical needs of RPU customers exceed that amount of energy, there is not any way to bring additional power into Riverside, as there are no other outside connections. While over the past ten years RPU has built a number of power generation plants within the city that can help supply extra energy in time of peak demands and emergencies, they do not provide reliable, long-term solutions to the city's capacity shortage, nor will they be enough to meet current and projected energy load growth.

The RTRP would create a second connection to outside power lines, and a second substation, that would reduce dependence on a single substation and connection, increase the amount of energy RPU could import, and provide greater flexibility to expand our energy delivery system to meet Riverside's growing energy needs well into the future.

In March 2020, the California Public Utilities Commission approved the RTRP project. The project will now move into the anticipated construction timeline outlined below:

Anticipated Construction Timeline

Riverside Transmission Reliability Project (RTRP) Anticipated Timeline

Item	Date	Lead Agency
69kV Subtransmission Lines (Riverside Energy Resource Center – Harvey Lynn Substation & Freeman Substation)	January 2021 – December 2022¹	RPU
RPU System Improvements & Substation Upgrades	June 2023 – December 2029	RPU
69kV Subtransmission Lines (Riverside Energy Resource Center - Freeman Substation)	January 2025 – December 2026	RPU
Grading/Site Preparation and Street Improvement for RPU Wilderness Substation & SCE Wildlife Switchyard	February 2026 – December 2026	RPU & SCE
RPU Wilderness Substation Wall & Fence	January 2027 – January 2028	RPU
RPU Wilderness Substation Above grade	March 2028 – December 2029	RPU
69kV Subtransmission Lines (Wilderness Lines)	July 2028 – April 2030	RPU
RPU Wilderness Substation & Integration	January 2030 – June 2030	RPU
230kV Underground Transmission Line	Late 2028	SCE²
230kV Overhead Transmission Line	Late 2028	SCE²
SCE Wildlife Substation	Late 2029	SCE²

*Anticipated Construction Timeline is only specific to construction activity and is subject to change. This timeline does not include engineering design and any pre-construction activities.

1. Work is completed.

2. Visit SCE’s website for more information and construction update for their portion of work. See “Resources” header below for link to their website.

Construction Schedule Update for RPU's Portion of RTRP

69kV Subtransmission Lines (Riverside Energy Resource Center - Freeman Substation):
This construction is 70% complete. Work is set to resume in January 2026. Majority of the 69kV lines have been installed. Due to the parallel activities with RPU’s substation group, sequential work is needed for the remaining 69kV lines to be installed. Work will be performed on the distribution facilities to Freeman substation on Indiana Ave (from Tyler St to Gibson St). There might be some traffic impact when work is performed on Street right of way.

RPU System Improvements & Substation Upgrades:
The upgrade of the existing substation is a multi year, multi phase project designed to accommodate system bifurcation. Design and construction at Freeman Substation and the remote-end substations at RERC, Harvey Lynn, and Casa Blanca have been completed. Construction is currently underway at Freeman Substation. The remaining remote-end work at Orangecrest Substation is anticipated to be completed by June 2026, and the remaining upgrades at Casa Blanca Substation are expected to be completed by May 2026.

Historical Timeline

Item	Date
The California Independent System Operator (CAISO), which is the independent organization responsible for planning the statewide transmission grid, conducted studies concluding a need for the project	June 2006
Riverside Public Utilities (RPU) began holding public scoping meetings for the project	January 2007
RPU issued the Draft Environmental Impact Report for public review	August 2011
City Council certified Final Environmental Impact Report	February 2013
City of Jurupa Valley filed a California Environmental Quality Act lawsuit	March 2013
City of Jurupa Valley's claims were rejected, in the Los Angeles Superior Court	May 2014
SCE filed a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) application with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for approval to construct the project	April 2015
SCE filed an amended CPCN application with the CPUC	April 2015
Application deemed complete by CPUC	January 2017
Publication of Draft Subsequent EIR	April 2018
Public Comment Period on Draft Subsequent EIR (45 Days)	April-May 2018
Publication of Final EIR	October 2018
2020 CPUC Decision City of Riverside Press Release	March 2020