Santa Clara will construct a power transmission line despite resident concerns that its emissions cause negative health impacts.
In early October, the Santa Clara City Council delayed the item until it could get more information. At that meeting, droves of residents turned out to implore the council to halt the project, citing the potential for negative health impacts associated with electromagnetic fields (EMF).
Just as before, Manuel Pineda, the city’s chief electric utility officer for Silicon Valley Power (SVP), emphasized how much the city’s demand for electricity is growing, driven largely by its plethora of data centers and corporate headquarters. The transmission lines will increase SVP’s capacity from 819 megawatts to roughly 1,300 megawatts.
“We need to accommodate approved and under-construction load growth and reliability,” Pineda said. “The city is growing, and SVP is growing. We actually have reached three new peaks this year … we are getting close to reaching our system operating limit.”
The 2.4-mile transmission line will connect received stations at Kifer Street and Scott Boulevard, most of which is above-ground. SVP has explored other options for the line, but the proposed route is the only one that allows SVP to keep its 2028 timeline intact.
SVP deemed other routes proposed by residents impractical because of the easements they would require, something Pineda has said would likely add five years to the project.
Last time around, the council opted to bounce the item back to city employees to investigate the legitimacy of the claims that electromagnetic fields negatively affect human health. At its Nov. 12 meeting, city employees returned with that information.
The proposed power lines emit electromagnetic radiation roughly equivalent to a microwave or a vacuum cleaner.
Dr. Gabor Mezei, an EMF expert with the consulting firm Exponent, said understanding EMF exposure is complex, but research has been ongoing since the 1970s. Panels of experts review dozens of studies examining the health effects of EMF.
He said each study is a “piece of the puzzle” and that no one study alone is sufficient to draw a conclusion.
“Overall, none of these expert panel reviews arrived at the conclusion that the available evidence confirms EMF, power frequency EMF, causes any sort of adverse health effects,” he said. “The scientific knowledge in this area is more extensive than for most chemicals, that is very important to remember, that this is a mature issue, and we don’t see a cause-and-effect relationship, not because we haven’t looked at it or we have tried. This conclusion is based on extensive research.”
Public commenters changed their tune in the wake of evidence that EMF are not harmful, with many claiming the issue was a broader “quality of life” issue. Many focused on the unsightliness of the lines and the negative effect they claim it will have on property values.
Preeka Tiwari said evidence was brought in to “refute” the health claims instead of supporting them. She accused SVP and the city more broadly of putting big-business’ interests above those of the residents.
“This is about power, and it is about money. It is about a schedule to keep to gain more power and money,” said James O’Connor.
The item appeared as if it would fail after Council Member Kathy Watanabe and Vice Mayor Anthony Becker opposed the motion to approve. However, Watanabe changed her informal vote at the last minute after Mayor Lisa Gillmor bemoaned the item’s seeming defeat.
The council approved the project in a 4-1 vote, with Becker voting no. Council Member Raj Chahal needed to recuse himself, and Council Member Kevin Park, who had previously opposed the project, left the meeting early.
New Local Business Gets Rezoning, Council Approves Bike Plan
The council also unanimously approved rezoning a parcel of land for heavy industrial use. A new business, Applied Integration Group, asked the council to convert a 1.5-acre parcel of land, located at 2201 Lafayette St., from a planned development.
The project also included a variance to reduce the required number of mandated parking spaces. The proposed zoning to accommodate the product engineering and manufacturing business is inline with the general plan and mirrors most other surrounding uses.
Finally, the council also adopted the Benton Street bike plan. That concept will allow two buffered bike lanes with parking on both sides of the street along the 60-foot-wide section of Benton Street. Along the 64-foot-wide section of the street, there will be two lanes, with buffered bike lanes and a center turn lane.
The plan also includes speed humps along the 38-foot-wide section with parking on both sides of the street. It also provides for as-needed no parking zones between Dunford Way and Lincoln Streets. The council approved the plan unanimously.
Consent Calendar Spending
The council approved the following spending in a single motion via the consent calendar:
- A four-year, $400,000 agreement with DLT Solutions for a drawing management system. This contract allows for an extension for up to nine years with the maximum contract amount not to exceed $800,000.
- A three-year, $530,000 contract with Hello Housing for administration services for the below-market purchase program. This item allows for an extension through 2034, with a maximum total contract amount not to exceed $2.13 million.
- A $14.95 million purchase order with “vendors” for control enclosures with protection and control panels and neutral grounding resistors.
The next regularly scheduled meeting is Tuesday, Nov. 19 in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 1500 Warburton Ave. in Santa Clara.
Members of the public can participate in the City Council meetings on Zoom at https://santaclaraca.zoom.us/j/99706759306; Meeting ID: 997-0675-9306 or call 1 (669) 900-6833, via the City’s eComment (available during the meeting) or by email to PublicComment@santaclaraca.gov
