Bell-Winters Substation Upgrade Project
Summary
SCH Number
2025050026
Public Agency
Sacramento Municipal Utility District
Document Title
Bell-Winters Substation Upgrade Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
5/1/2025
Document Description
The Bell-Winters Substation Upgrade Project entails the complete demolition and reconstruction of the existing substation located at the corner of Bell Avenue and Winters Street in unincorporated Sacramento County. Following its demolition, a new substation will be constructed at this location. The construction upgrades will include replacing two transformers with a single 20 Megavolt-Amperes (20MVA) transformer and switchgear that will support three new electrical feeders. Additional improvements include developing two new electrical feeder lines that will extend east along Dudley Boulevard and south on Winters Street, with circuitry installed below the existing 69 kilovolt (69kV) line.
Construction will be divided into two phases. The first phase will focus on above-ground civil construction and the substation rebuild, starting in mid-2025 and concluding at the end of 2025. The second phase will involve substation commissioning and the finalization of 12 kilovolt (12kV) connections, slated for completion by summer 2026.
This substation improvement project includes the complete demolition, reconstruction, and repaving of the existing substation, with an expanded footprint. The parcel measures 0.21 acres, and the current substation utilizes 0.12 acres. The upgraded substation will expand its footprint to approximately 0.18 acres. New concrete foundations will be constructed for the battery enclosure pad, transformer and switchgear pad, and three capacitor bank pads. The ground surface within the substation may also be paved as part of the upgrades. For transformer foundation construction, excavation will reach approximately 6 feet deep. Similarly, fence installation around the perimeter of the site will require footings approximately 5 feet deep at intervals of about 10 feet apart. Additionally, a ground grid will be installed across the entire site at a depth of 3 feet.
Other ground disturbing activities for the supporting line work will include developing two new electrical feeder lines extending east along Dudley Boulevard and south on Winters Street. A portion of the circuitry will be underbuilt below the existing 69kV line. The circuits will converge near McClellan Park and Forcum Ave. Ground disturbance will be minimized by utilizing a combination of open trenching and horizontal directional drilling (HDD) boring at depths of 5 feet for cable installation. These substation improvements are essential to support the capacity and reliability needs of the neighboring electrical infrastructure, serving a diverse mix of industrial, commercial, and residential areas.
Contact Information
Name
Ammon Rice
Agency Name
6201 S Street
Job Title
Supervisor, Environmental Services
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency / Project Applicant
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
Sacramento
Counties
Sacramento
Regions
Countywide
Cross Streets
Bell Avenue and Winters Street
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
CEQA Guidelines Sections 15301 (Existing Facilities) and 15302 (Replacement or Reconstruction)
Reasons for Exemption
SMUD has reviewed and determined that the Project is categorically exempt from the provisions of CEQA pursuant to Sections 15301 (Existing Facilities) and 15302 (Replacement and Reconstruction). Section 15301 applies to projects that consists of the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alternations of existing public or private structures, facilities, mechanical equipment, or topographical features, involving negligible or no expansion of use beyond that existing at the time of the lead agency’s determination. Section 15302 states that "Class 2 consists of replacement or reconstruction of existing structures and
facilities where the new structure will be located on the same site as the structure replaced and will have substantially the same purpose and capacity as the structure replaced..." Thus, the Project will involve the repair and minor alteration of an existing substation facility resulting in no change or expansion of use; the replacement of substation infrastructure in the same location and serving the same purpose and capacity. Therefore, no further environmental review is required.
County Clerk
Sacramento
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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