A group of state and federal representatives is urging Riverside officials to reconsider the design of a major power transmission project, citing wildfire risks. The officials urge Riverside leaders to reconsider the project's design and advocate for complete undergrounding, despite state and judicial approval and without any proposal for funding the underground option.
In a Feb. 14, 2025, letter to Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson and City Council members, the officials expressed serious concerns about the above-ground design of the Riverside Transmission Reliability Project (RTRP). This letter follows recent renewed calls from some Riversiders who urged the City Council to reconsider the project design.
The RTRP, which the City Council approved last May, aims to provide Riverside with a second connection to the state's electrical grid. However, the planned 200-foot-tall overhead transmission lines would run through fire-prone areas along the Santa Ana River in Norco and nearby communities.
"We can all agree that public safety is crucial, and as elected officials, we believe it's our duty to put our communities' safety first," the letter states.
The signatories include Congressmen Ken Calvert and Mark Takano, State Assemblymembers Bill Essayli and Letica Castillo, State Senator Kelly Seyarto, County Supervisor Karen Spiegel, and the mayors of Corona and Norco. They point to tragedies like the wildfires that destroyed Paradise and Maui as examples of the risks posed by overhead transmission lines.
The officials also mention the ongoing investigation into the Eaton Fire, where 230kV transmission lines – the same system proposed for RTRP – are being examined as a possible cause.
"The extra steps to underground this project won't compare to the devastation that would follow a preventable catastrophe," the letter warns.
The group argues that conditions have changed significantly since the RTRP was last reviewed, particularly the increased wildfire risk in the area. They highlight Norco's specific vulnerabilities, including limited evacuation routes and the presence of horses and other animals that would complicate emergency responses.
"After seeing these recent catastrophic fires, our local communities, state, and nation should be rethinking dangerous, above-ground transmission lines like the RTRP and pushing for full undergrounding to prevent more tragedies," the letter concludes.
