Jun 01, 2010

SCE betting $6.2 million on Apple Valley growth

---

By: David Keck, Desert Dispatch

APPLE VALLEY • Southern California Edison is betting $6.2 million that the northern part of the town sees 10 percent growth over the next decade.   

That’s what the power company told the Apple Valley Town Council it will invest in the area, which has been set aside for mostly industry.   

Nancy Jackson, public affairs manager for the   utility, laid out the plans in a 15-minute presentation to the Town Council at Tuesday night’s meeting.   

“If they’re (the town) preparing to bring in the kind of industrial customer load they’re anticipating, then we need to prepare for that,” Jackson said Wednesday by telephone.  

The power company plans to include a new substation, new distribution lines, upgrades and replacing old infrastructure as part of the investment, Jackson said.   

Plans have also been made to run underground power lines with the proposed Yucca Loma Bridge   that would connect Apple Valley with Victorville.   

Jackson said a combination of factors prompted SCE to make the investment into Apple Valley. The company’s economic and business development department looks at how much energy the area now consumes, then determines projected growth by working with the town and analyzing business interest.   

“We’re usually pretty right on,” Jackson said. “We do it to keep up with growth and provide the reliable service our customers have grown accustom to.”