Farm Road 69KV Natomas Line Extension Project
Summary
SCH Number
2025050490
Public Agency
Sacramento Municipal Utility District
Document Title
Farm Road 69KV Natomas Line Extension Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
5/12/2025
Document Description
To improve and ensure safe and reliable electric service and relieve loads
on other existing 69kV lines in the North Natomas area, Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) will construction 14 new 65-foot-tall wood poles along Farm Road to support approximately 4,200 circuit feet of new single-circuit 69 kilovolt (69kV) conductor, which will extend from an existing pole on the east side of the drainage canal westward along Farm Road and connect to existing 69kV lines on El Centro Road. Approximately 5,000 circuit feet of existing overhead 12kV underbuild will be reconstructed on the new poles to accommodate the new 69kV line. Boreholes for new poles will be approximately 24 inches in diameter and 9 feet deep. Two new 77-foot-tall steel poles, set 18 ft deep, will be constructed at each end of the 69kV circuit extension.
Pole excavation will typically use a truck-mounted auger, with stockpiled soil placed adjacent to each hole. Soil from these excavations will either be used to backfill the old holes or removed from the site and disposed of appropriately. Each new pole will be framed with necessary electrical components (e.g., cross arms, pins, insulators, grounds, and markers) prior to setting the pole in the ground. Once installed, new poles holes will be backfilled and compacted with rock. SMUD will access poles using existing roads. This line extension will also support future electric service needs for the planned build within the Upper Westside Specific Plan, for which the County is serving as the lead agency.
Work is expected to begin in June 2025 and is anticipated to take approximately two months to
complete.
Contact Information
Name
Sarah Ahmed
Agency Name
Sacramento Municipal Utility District
Job Title
Supervisor, Environmental Services
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
Sacramento
Counties
Sacramento
Regions
Countywide
Other Location Info
Project is located within portions of city of Sacramento and unincorporated Sacramento County. The project begins along the northern edge of the Interstate 80 (I-80) corridor at the confluence of the East and West Drainage Canals in northern Sacramento. The proposed line work follows the I-80 corridor along Farm Road and terminates near the intersection of El Centro Road and Farm Road
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
CEQA Guidelines §15302 (d) and §15303(d)
Reasons for Exemption
Under CEQA Guidelines § 15062, a lead agency must identify the rationale for making the determination that a project is exempt under CEQA. SMUD has determined that the Farm Road 69kV Natomas Line Extension Project is exempt under CEQA Guidelines
§15302 Replacement or Reconstruction (d), which reads “Conversion of overhead electric utility distribution system facilities to underground including connection to existing overhead electric utility distribution lines where surface is restored to the condition existing prior to the undergrounding.”
§15303 New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures (d), which reads, “Water main, sewage, electrical, gas, and other utility extensions, including street improvements, of reasonable length to serve such construction.”
The Project involves utility extension of publicly owned electric facilities within existing roadway right-of-way, reconstruction of existing structures, and new construction of small structures. Therefore, this project is considered exempt in accordance with CEQA Guidelines §15302 (d)and §15303(d).
County Clerk
Sacramento
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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