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Administrative Draft Environmental Impact Report Gill Medical Center Project 4.8 ENERGY This section describes the environmental and regulatory setting for energy, including applicable plans, policies, regulations, and/or laws.This section also describes the potential for energy impacts that would result from the Proposed Project. 4.8.1 Environmental Setting Energy relates directly to environmental quality. Energy use can adversely affect air quality and other natural resources. The vast majority of California's air pollution is caused by burning fossil fuels. Consumption of fossil fuels is linked to changes in global climate and depletion of stratospheric ozone. Transportation energy use is related to the fuel efficiency of cars, trucks, and public transportation; choice of different travel modes (auto, carpool, and public transit);vehicle speeds; and miles traveled by these modes. Construction and routine operation and maintenance of transportation infrastructure also consume energy. In addition, residential, commercial, and industrial land uses consume energy, typically through the usage of natural gas and electricity. 4.8.1.1 Energy Types and Sources California relies on a regional power system comprised of a diverse mix of natural gas, renewable, hydroelectric, and nuclear generation resources. Natural gas provides California with a majority of its electricity followed by renewables, large hydroelectric and nuclear (California Energy Commissions [CEC] 2018a). The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) provides electricity and natural gas to the majority of San Joaquin County, including the Project site. It generates or buys electricity from hydroelectric, nuclear, renewable, natural gas, and coal facilities. PG&E provides natural gas and electricity to most of the northern two-thirds of California, from Bakersfield and Barstow to near the Oregon, Nevada and Arizona State Line. It provides 5.2 million people with electricity and natural gas across 70,000 square miles. In 2017, PG&E announced that 80 percent of the company's delivered electricity comes from GHG- free sources, including renewables, nuclear, and hydropower. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) regulates PG&E.The CPUC has developed energy efficiency programs such as smart meters, low income programs, distribution generation programs, self- generation incentive programs, and a California solar initiative.Additionally,the CEC maintains a power plant data base that describes all of the operating power plants in the state by county. San Joaquin County contains 22 power plants generating electricity, of which nine are natural gas-fired, six are solar- powered, four are biomass-powered,two are wind-powered, and one is hydro-powered (CEC 2019). 4.8.1.2 Existing Transmission and Distribution Facilities The components of transmission and distribution systems include the generating facility, switching yards and stations, primary substation, distribution substations, distribution transformers, various sized transmission lines, and the customers.The United States contains over a quarter million miles of transmission lines, most of them capable of handling voltages between 115 kilovolts (kv) and 345 kv, and a handful of systems of up to 500 kv and 765 kv capacity. Transmission lines are rated according to the Energy 4.8-1 October 2021