BGE Application Bush River, Apr 17 2020
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BEFORE THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION OF MARYLAND IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION ) OF BALTIMORE GAS AND ELECTRIC ) COMPANY FOR A CERTIFICATE OF ) Case No.______________ PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY ) FOR THE BUSH RIVER CROSSING 115kV ) REBUILD PROJECT ) APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE AND NECESSITY TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................. 1 II. APPLICANT INFORMATION ...................................................................................... 2 III. INFORMATION IDENTIFIED BY COMAR 20.79.04.01 ........................................... 3 IV. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED TRANMISSION LINE (COMAR 20.79.04.02 AND COMAR 20.79.04.03) .......................................................................... 7 V. IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE ............................................................................. 12 VI. ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION ....................................................................... 12 VII. INFORMATION REQUIRED PURSUANT TO PUA § 7-207 .................................. 13 I. INTRODUCTION Pursuant to the provisions of Section 7-207 of the Public Utility Companies Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland and Title 20, Subtitle 79 of the Code of Maryland Regulations (“COMAR”), Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (“Applicant”) submits this Application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (the “Application”) to the Public Service Commission of Maryland (the “Commission”) to complete the Bush River Crossing 115kV Rebuild Project (“Bush River Crossing Project” or “Project”). The Project involves the replacement of a 1.3 mile portion of an existing 115kV transmission line (Circuits 110620/110621) that runs from Edgewood to Perryman across the Bush River, in Harford County, Maryland (see Exhibit 1- Project Location Map). Filed simultaneously with and in support of this Application is the supporting testimony and accompanying exhibits of three witnesses: (1) the Prepared Direct Written Testimony of Albert E. Alford, Project Manager for BGE; (2) the Prepared Direct Written Testimony of Robert P. May, P.E., Project Engineer; and (3) the Prepared Direct Written Testimony of Tennile T. Rubin, Deputy Director of Environmental Services for McCormick (“MT”). Ms. Rubin is sponsoring the Project’s Environmental Review Document (“ERD”), a comprehensive document that describes the existing environment of the Project area, presents the Project and how it is to be constructed and operated, and assesses the potential environmental, socioeconomic, cultural, and visual impacts of the Project. In support of its Application, and in accordance with the filing requirements detailed in COMAR 20.79, Applicant submits the following information: 1 II. APPLICANT INFORMATION A. Name of the Applicant: The name of the applicant is Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (“BGE”). B. Address of the Principal Business Office of the Applicant: Baltimore Gas and Electric Company 2 Center Plaza 110 West Fayette Street Baltimore, Maryland 21201 C. Person Authorized to Receive Notices and Communications: David E. Ralph Associate General Counsel Baltimore Gas and Electric Company 2 Center Plaza 110 West Fayette Street Baltimore, Maryland 21201 D. Location at which the Public May Inspect a Copy of the Application: A copy of the Application will be filed with the Commission, and as such, it may be accessed by the public online through the Commission’s website (www.psc.state.md.us) or in print at the Commission, which is located at the following address: William Donald Schaefer Tower 6 St. Paul Street 16th Floor Baltimore, Maryland 21202 The public may also inspect a copy of the Application at the following location after setting an appointment to do so with the authorized persons listed in Section C of this Application: Baltimore Gas and Electric Company 2 Center Plaza – 12th Floor 110 West Fayette Street Baltimore, Maryland 21201 2 E. Local, State, and Federal Government Agencies Having Approval Authority Related to Construction or Operation of the Project: Applicant must obtain a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (“CPCN”) from the Commission in order to proceed with construction of the Project. In addition, and as required by COMAR 20.79.01.04E, Table 1.3-1 in the ERD summarizes the additional licenses, permits, and approvals that are or may be necessary for the construction and operation of the Project, along with the identity of the responsible local, state, and federal agency and the status of any requested approvals, waivers, or variances. All applicable permits and approvals required for the construction and operation of the Project will be obtained by BGE from these agencies. However, because the applications for these permits and approvals require precise technical information regarding facility locations and detailed engineering design, applications to all of these agencies have not been submitted prior to the filing of this Application. The detailed information necessary for a select few of these permits and approvals may not be available until the CPCN either is issued or this proceeding is underway. III. INFORMATION IDENTIFIED BY COMAR 20.79.04.01 A. COMAR 20.79.04.01 Information for Transmission Lines 1. An explanation of the need for the project in meeting demands for service BGE has the responsibility to maintain the safety and reliability of its electric system and achieves this through the inspection and maintenance of its existing transmission lines. As a result of these inspections, life expectancy of components of the transmission system, the frequency of line outages, and subsequent repairs, BGE’s Transmission Planning and Transmission Engineering 3 Departments have concluded that the seven structures of the Bush River Crossing Project, carrying Circuits 110620/110621, is a priority transmission circuit in the BGE system to be rebuilt. The proposed Project, which involves rebuilding the existing transmission line (Circuits 110620/110621) at the Bush River Crossing, is required to improve reliability for communities and critical infrastructure. This transmission line connects to three substations, one of which serves approximately 12,500 customers and one that serves U.S. Army Aberdeen Proving Ground (“APG”) critical infrastructure directly. In order to address these reliability issues, seven structures (three steel lattice towers and four wood H-frames) will be replaced with nine steel monopoles at the crossing. The new steel poles replacing the existing lattice towers will be approximately 125- 145 feet higher, resulting in higher spans and clearances which meet current standards and improve safety and minimize sailboat contacts with wires. The galvanized steel monopoles will also include avian deterrents in the design to reduce potential outages caused by nesting. Reducing outages increases reliability to APG, which is one of the largest employers in Harford County. Replacing the structures will also resolve the issues with degradation of the structures on each shore and within Bush River. 2. A description of the effect of the project on system stability and reliability The Project will address stability and reliability concerns in several key areas: 1) Improving reliability: From 2009-2019, there have been 12 outages recorded for the entirety of the transmission line, nine of which occurred directly at the Bush River Crossing. The Project, once completed, will improve the reliability of the Applicant’s 115kV transmission line. The existing transmission line (Circuits 110620/110621) connects the Perryman Substation to the Edgewood and Joppatowne Substations. The Edgewood Substation directly serves the APG Edgewood facility, which employs approximately 24,000 people, and the Joppatowne Substation 4 serves approximately 12,500 customers. The transmission line from Perryman to Joppatowne is approximately 8.8 miles and consists of 107 single circuit wood pole structures, 22 double circuit steel poles, 13 double circuit towers, and 2 single circuit steel poles. The Joppatowne Substation is networked back to the Raphael Road Substation via a 115kV underground transmission line, connected to the Raphael Road 230kV yard via transformer 230-1 (230-115kV). This network connection from Raphael Road to Joppatowne provides a resilient connection into the Perryman area. The rebuild of the existing transmission line at the Bush River Crossing will improve reliability of the transmission line, supporting communities and critical infrastructure. 2) Aging infrastructure: The Existing Circuits 110620/110621 transmission line was constructed in 1951 and has experienced substantial reliability problems through the years due to avian contamination (nest debris, bird droppings, etc.) and degradation. During an inspection in 1990, the three lattice tower structures at the Bush River Crossing (one on either side of the shoreline and one in the river) were found to be degraded. Deterioration was occurring to the steel H-piles and the concrete pile caps. Repairs on these structures were made in 1991 and project reports indicated an expected lifespan of only 25 years; the line is currently in year 29 following these repairs. The repairs included encapsulation of the steel piles which prevents further inspection of the piles. This aging infrastructure has outlived its useful life. Replacing the structures will resolve the issues with degradation of the structures on each shore and within