Pacific Gas and Electric Company Submits Design Change Notification for Rock Creek-Cresta Hydroelectric Project

Strategic Insights -

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has submitted a design change notification (DCN) to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for the Rock Creek-Cresta Hydroelectric Project, FERC No. 1962. The changes involve the replacement of the Bucks 1103 distribution line near Cresta Dam, which is part of the PG&E's hydroelectric project. The modifications include the installation of new electrical service inside the Elephant Butte Tunnel, removal of two wooded distribution poles, and removal of the transformer bank structure on Cresta Dam.

Key Takeaways:

  • The design change notification (DCN) is for the Bucks 1103 distribution line replacement project (Project) near Cresta Dam, part of Pacific Gas and Electric Company's (PG&E) Rock Creek-Cresta Hydroelectric Project, FERC No. 1962.
  • The changes from the original construction authorization package include the installation of new electrical service inside the Elephant Butte Tunnel, removal of two wooded distribution poles, and removal of the transformer bank structure on Cresta Dam.
  • FERC authorized the work in a letter to PG&E dated January 9, 2023.
  • The design change notification includes the following enclosures:

• Design Change Notification Form, DCN001, prepared by PG&E and dated May 2025

• Red-lined Exhibit F-5, Cresta Dam and Spillway, prepared by PG&E and dated May 2025

  • The project manager, Michael Shaeffer, can be contacted at (530) 228-0398 for technical questions, and Chadwick McCready, senior license coordinator, can be contacted at (530) 685-5710 for general questions.

Statistics:

  • The design change notification was submitted on an unspecified date, stamped with the FERC received date, but the receipt date is not further specified.
  • The project, FERC No. 1962, involves the replacement of the Bucks 1103 distribution line near Cresta Dam.
  • The modifications include the installation of new electrical service, removal of two distribution poles, and removal of the transformer bank structure on Cresta Dam.
  • The document was addressed to Frank L. Blackett, P.E., Regional Engineer at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Division of Dam Safety and Inspections.
  • The letter was signed by Kyle Ingvoldsen, Supervisor, Power Generation Engineering, on May 2025.

Sources:

  • Pacific Gas and Electric Company. (2025, May). Design Change Notification (DCN) for the Bucks 1103 Fire Rebuild - Design Change Notification.
  • Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. (2023, January 9). Letter to Pacific Gas and Electric Company authorizing work for the Rock Creek-Cresta Hydroelectric Project, FERC No. 1962.