BY JENNIFER MADRIGAL

Chino Hills – Many Chino and Chino Hills residents have cause to celebrate as they see construction signs around the area, where Southern California Edison are continuing the dismantling of lattice towers and poles that were built as part of the Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) reversed its decision in July and Edison was ordered to remove the 200 foot towers and re-route the 3.5 mile project underground throughout the city. According to Edison Project Manager, Jennifer Wolfe, once all the towers are down, they will be disassembled, bundled, stored and reused, while the tubular towers will be shipped to Edison’s salvage yard to be recycled.

The undergrounding of the power lines will start at an Edison easement located at Pipeline Avenue and the 71 freeway, and will continue west through the residential areas of the city. Each tower takes about two days to remove, and about three days to remove the foundation located almost 60 feet below ground. There have been some delays due to high winds, but completion is expected to take approximately three months.

The Public Utilities Commission has authorized $224 million for the whole undergrounding project, with $4 million of that amount used for the demolition of the towers. However, Edison predicts that the total cost will exceed $300 million, due to the cost of voltage control equipment.