In 2016, CPUC gave SCE approval to mitigate sag clearance issues and increase line capacity from 936 amps to 1520 amps on the 230 kV Rector to Vestal lines (1&2) and on the 230 kV Vestal to Magunden lines (1&2) in the Big Creek Transmission Corridor.
The use of the ACCC® Conductor enabled SCE to minimize the need to modify or replace existing structures on the 137 circuit mile project which saved time, money and the need for special permitting. SCE selected 714 kcmil Dove size ACCC Conductor. The upgraded lines also eliminated load shedding during low-hydro conditions.
The Big Creek Hydro Project is located 60 miles north of Fresno, California at the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It currently has 6 major reservoirs, 27 dams, and 9 powerhouses. Big Creek was America’s first large-scale integrated hydroelectric project that began in 1912. In 1949 the project was expanded raising generation capacity from 300 to over 1000 MW.
In September 2020, a wildfire burned more than 375,000 acres causing extensive damage to other transmission and distribution lines in the area. In another section of the Big Creek Transmission Corridor where ACCC continues to be installed, the ACCC Conductor was charred by flames, but remained otherwise undamaged. SCE crews were able to use ACCC Conductor in their active inventory to replace other conductor damaged by the fire. CTC Global will provide further updates about this ongoing project in the coming months.
