By Angelo Haynes
Activists from across San Diego and Riverside counties appeared this week at the county administrative building for a hearing on the Golden Pacific Power Link Project, a new proposed power line that would cross through San Diego County Districts 2 & 5. The project is planned to be a 500-kilovolt electric transmission line that would necessitate a new substation named “North of SONGS” (San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station) to be built bordering Camp Pendleton in Orange county.
The proposed power lines would be suspended on towers that would be 200 feet tall, or 20 stories, starting with an existing substation near the southern border, south of the 8 in Imperial Valley. The total length of the line would span between 135-145 miles long and would cross through many sensitive habitats and established communities in north and east counties.
SDG&E states that the line is needed to strengthen the regional power network and maintain power effectiveness in compliance with future policy goals of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the Calif Independent System Operator (CAISO). The CAISO is an independent transmission planning authority that manages the flow of electricity across 80% of California’s grid in addition to a part of Nevada’s grid.
The line would circumnavigate the El Centro Naval Air Facility before bending northwest and crossing right through the heart of the Anza-Borrego state park when crossing the San Diego County line. The power line would then move northwest crossing through the Santa Margarita Watershed, Warner Springs and Palomar mountain within the Cleveland National Forest — a route that many advocates say would increase the fire danger of the area.
The City of Temecula Mayor Jessica Alexander and the Temecula C city council have been very firm in their opposition to the project, voting unanimously 5-0 against the power link. The Temecula city council maintains that the project would cross through sensitive habitat and ancestral Pechanga land and then cross the Temecula Parkway.
Temecula City Mayor Jessica Alexander had this to say:
“Temecula is not SDG&E’s extension cord.”
The Chaparral Lands Conservancy, Anza-Borrego Foundation, and the Protect Our Communities Foundation among others, came out in opposition to the project citing multiple alternatives to accomplish CAISO objectives.
Bill Powers, a professional engineer with a background in power systems, spoke on behalf of the Protect our Communities Foundation, a group created in the early 2000’s to fight SDG&E’s plans for a Sunrise Power link. Back then, even after an administrative law judge blocked the passage of the project, then CPUC president, Dian M. Grueneich, overruled the decision in an Alternate Proposed Decision forcing the Sunrise project into construction on 10/31/2008.
“I was an expert witness for the local solar power alternative in that CPUC proceeding… politics kicked in, the president of the commission pushed in with an approval, and the power link was built.” He continued.
“Local solar rooftop parking and battery storage, and reconductoring existing transmission lines. There’s plenty of rooftop solar potential to achieve 100% green power in the county…. About 20,000 MW of solar power is enough to get to 100%…. Reconductoring, to increase capacity of existing transmission lines in another option. This involves changing out older heavier conductors with lighter weight composite conductors.”
Powers concluded.
“Bottom line, we have options that do not involve building the Golden Pacific Power Link.”
Many opponents pointed out that the transmission lines would not directly benefit San Diego as it is mostly a transfer line to help provide power to Orange County, a jurisdiction that SDG&E is also responsible for providing power to. It is estimated that the line would only provide 9% of its power to San Diego County while mostly occupying space within San Diego County, a fact that increased public resistance to the project.
Placed on the county agenda as Discussion item 25 by Supervisors Jim Desmond and Joel Anderson, it received 205 E-comments 174 in support and 21 in opposing.
Sunrise power link providing energy, biggest chunk of energy to Imperial valley comes from Nuclear power imported from Arizona. Supervisor Desmond weighed in.
“This is going to be a blight on the deserts…I would like to see California use power locally… instead of relying on the grid which is very vulnerable.” Desmond continued.
“90% of the line is running through San Diego County, we’re only getting 9% of the benefit… the biggest bulk of the energy that goes into the Imperial Valley Substation comes from Arizona, there is some solar and geothermal, but the bulk comes from Arizona from their nuclear power plant.”
After the board of supervisors’ discussion, Desmond made a motion to receive the report and passed the resolution unanimously to receive the report and listen to the people. No final vote on the project was taken.
