Sunrise Powerlink History Page May 17, 2007 FERC Hearing Don't let San Diego be "FERCed" FERC, the federal agency of ENRON infamy (and complicity) is coming to San Diego May 17th. Their intent is to hold public hearings that justify building Sunrise Powerlink under destructive federal "standards" - revoking the authority of California's Public Utility Commission. SDG&E will be attempting to fill the hearing with project proponents claiming to represent the citizens of San Diego. Sierra Club members can't allow this to happen! Sunrise would be the single largest construction project ever inflicted on San Diego County - with a 150-mile path of devastation. To halt Sunrise, San Diego Sierra Club members have to turn out in mass. Please consider this hearing a subpoena to your conscience...It's that crucial! Please follow this link for information on the San Diego Meeting... http://www.energetics.com/NIETCpublicmeetings/ Stop the federal government from making it easier to build Sunrise Powerlink. New federal decision would give SDG&E the right to seize private property to build transmission lines. Contact your member of Congress today! What is this new federal decision? The Energy Policy Act of 2005 directed the Department of Energy to analyze areas of the country to determine if there were places where a lack of electricity transmission capacity affected the national interest. If such areas are identified then the department can designate them as National Interest Energy Transmission Corridors (NIETC). SDG&E has pushed hard for a corridor to be designated in the San Diego area. Last week the Department of Energy (DOE) gave SDG&E and other large utilities what they wanted by issuing a draft designation creating a "corridor" that covers nearly all of southern California, the southwest corner of Arizona and the Las Vegas area. SDG&E wanted the designation because the Energy Policy Act of 2005 grants the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) the authority to preempt the authority of any state or local governments regarding new transmission projects. For example, if California rejected the risky, expensive and unneeded Sunrise Powerlink project, then the federal government could go ahead and approve the line. If the federal government approved Sunrise Powerlink or any other transmission line in this vast "corridor," the company building the line could use eminent domain to seize private lands. On its website about these corridors, the Department of Energy says: "Such a federal permit would empower the project developer to exercise the right of eminent domain to acquire necessary property rights to build the facilities. However, that authority could only be exercised if the developer could not acquire the property by negotiation . . ." Can the public respond? The draft designation will be the subject of a workshop in San Diego on May 17th. There is also a 60-day comment period. At the end of this message there is a link to the Department of Energy website where you'll find more information. What you should do right now: The most important thing to do right now is to contact your member of Congress and tell them that you want the NIETC provision (Section 1221) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 rescinded and that you want funding to the Department of Energy to work on NIETCs to be cut off. Representatives Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) and Frank Wolf (R-VA) have previously sought to do away with the NIETC provision. They need the support of your member of Congress. Ask your representative to speak out against the draft designation of a NIETC in southern California. Don't know who your member of Congress is? Go to http://www.house.gov/writerep/ and use your zip code plus 4 to immediately send an email to your representative. If you know who you member of Congress is or prefer to call, then give their district office a quick call and urge that your representative support bipartisan efforts to rescind and defund the National Interest Energy Transmission Corridors provision of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Tell them that you oppose the Department of Energy's draft designation of southern California as such a corridor. Ask that the member respond to you. Your representative will be in the list below. You may also wish to call our two senators. Rep. Duncan Hunter: El Cajon 619-448-5201 Rep. Brian Bilbray: Solana Beach 858-350-1150 Rep. Darrell Issa: Vista 760-599-5000 Rep. Susan Davis: San Diego 619-280-5353 Sen. Dianne Feinstein: San Diego 619-231-9712 Sen. Barbara Boxer: San Diego 619-239-3884 How you can comment to the Department of Energy: Go to http://nietc.anl.gov/. There you will find information about the process, how to comment, the upcoming hearing in San Diego, a map of the "corridor," and a Frequently Asked Questions document. Bill Corcoran Senior Regional Representative Sierra Club 3435 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 660 Los Angeles, CA 90010 (213) 387-6528 x208 April 14 Event LOCAL RESIDENT PLANS 50-MILE RUN TO SAVE ANZA-BORREGO DESERT STATE PARK Walk, run or drive event followed by winery festival to save Anza-Borrego Desert State Park on SAVE ANZA-BORREGO DAY, APRIL 14 On April 14, concerned community members are invited to show their opposition to the Sunrise Powerlink by joining a walk, run or drive event to protect Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Attend this event and show Governor Schwarzenegger and the California State Park Commission that power lines don’t belong in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park or through our local communities. The day will showcase a 50-mile run through the Park by local activist Denis Trafecanty, who will begin his run at midnight the previous night and end his run in Borrego Springs the following day. “It is imperative that San Diego find smart energy solutions that don’t threaten our local communities, park lands and irreplaceable natural heritage” states Trafecanty. “I encourage all concerned citizens to join me for part of the run—either on foot, by car, or by horseback”. After you walk, run or drive through the State Park, you are invited to the Menghini Winery to celebrate smart energy solutions, the Global Warming Awareness Campaign (Step It Up 2000), and upcoming Earth Day. Menghini Winery 1150 Julian Orchards Drive - Julian , CA - 92036 http://www.sandiegowineries.org/wineries/menghini_winery.html Winery Phone: 760.765.2072 Directions: Get Directions to Menghini Winery Map of area After the run, go to the Menghini Winery in Julian to hear from visionary leaders and companies who are working together to shape a new energy future for San Diego. The offices of Assemblymember Lori Saldana and County Supervisor Dianne Jacob will be represented, as will one of the world’s largest solar panel manufacturers, Kyocera Corporation. Live music will be provided by Haywire, who will be debuting their new song about the Sunrise Powerlink, “Wires”. Dinner will be available from the Candied Apple Pastry Company. Wine and soft drinks will be available at the winery. Bottled water will be provided by the Borrego Springs Bottled Water Company. Remember… Save Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Day Saturday, April 14 For more information email Jeanette Hartman at jeanettehartman at yahoo dot com Report on Feb 8 Hearing Kelly Fuller and David Hogan admire the standing-room-only crowd at the state parks hearing on Feb 8. Report on Sunrise PowerLink hearing before California State Park Commission in Borrego Springs on 8 Feb. Full to overflowing room with hearing by State Park officials. Several members from the Chapter were present. We had help from SC staff organizers Elizabeth Lambe and Bill Corcoran. Distributed yellow head scarves printed with “Save Anza Borrego State Park”. A sign up list was at a table to enlist supporters. Kelly Fuller came from Minnesota. Joe Zechman spoke on behalf of the Chapter with message that we will fight the line in any form to the bitter end. Chapter fundraising continues to hire a project coordinator. Critical Meeting February 8 From: Ryan Henson Subject: Hearing re **DE-DESIGNATING** state wilderness to be held at Borrego Springs 2/8/07 at 7:30 pm --please attend! Friends, To my knowledge, never in American history has either state or federal wilderness been de-designated in order to allow development. Shockingly, this is precisely what is being considered for wilderness in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park to allow the proposed Sunrise Powerlink powerline to be built! In addition, the preferred route for the powerline would slice through 22 miles of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park’s non-wilderness areas. The California State Parks and Recreation Commission will be holding its *ONLY* southern California hearing on the proposed powerline route on 2/8/07 at 7:30 PM at the Borrego Springs Resort (directions attached). Please attend this critically important hearing and let the California State Parks and Recreation Commission know that you strongly oppose this horrific, precedent-setting rollback! IF THERE WAS EVER A TIME TO RALLY THE TROOPS THIS IS IT! Please spread the word among all your friends and with all the organizations in which you participate and ask them to post this date in their newsletters, websites, and in their e-mails to their members. Here are some key points to make at the hearing: --You oppose any powerline route proposed through Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. --You strongly oppose the unprecedented de-designation of wilderness either in the park or elsewhere. --If a route is proposed outside the park, you oppose it being built in any designated wilderness, proposed wilderness, Bureau of Land Management wilderness study area, Forest Service roadless area or other sensitive lands. Ryan Henson Policy Director, California Wilderness Coalition P.O. Box 993323 Redding, CA 96099 Website: www.calwild.org From: Diana Lindsay Subject: State Park Commission Meeting, Borrego Springs, Feb 8, 7:30 p.m.--please attend! Mark your calendars and plan on attending the California State Park Commission meeting in Borrego Springs on Thursday, February 8, at 7:30 p.m. at the Borrego Springs Resort. This will be the ONLY MEETING of the State Park Commission in southern California to receive comment on the Sunrise Powerlink. There will not be meeting in San Diego. Plan on traveling to Borrego Springs if you do not live there. You must sign up to speak and voice your opinion. Please spread the word among all your friends and with all the organizations in which you participate and ask them to post this date in their newsletters, websites, and in their e-mails to their membership. We MUST have hundreds of people attending to show opposition to the Sunrise Powerlink and its current plan to cross 22 miles of state park land and state wilderness preserves. Sincerely, Diana Lindsay, President, Anza-Borrego Foundation and Institute www.theabf.org Maps and Directions Location Map Detailed Map Borrego Springs Resort 1112 Tilting T Dr Borrego Springs, CA 92004 (760) 767-3289 December Update Scoping Report Released A Scoping Report is now available regarding the Sunrise Powerlink Transmission Project. This report has been prepared by the Calif. PUC, and U.S. Dept. of the Interior, BLM. SDG&E proposes transmission line & facility upgrades in San Diego & Imperial Counties. The Project would span a total of 150 miles (676 new towers), inclucing a 91-mile, 500-kilovolt (kV) transmission line (in Imperial County & eastern San Diego County) and a new 59-mile, 230 kV line (in central and western San Diego County) that includes both overhead and underground segments. It would also include a new substation in central SD County & upgrades at 4 existing substations. Public scoping meetings were held in Sept. and Oct., 2006. Over 100 individuals presented oral comments and over 200 written comments were submitted during the Scoping process. The 800-page Scoping Report is available for review at a number of area libraries and also at the project website: http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/environment/info/aspen/sunrise/sunrise.htm. A limited number of hard copies are available to the public upon request by phone or fax at (866)-711-3106 or by email at sunrise at aspeneg dot com. This Scoping Report is identified as "Part 1" because a second round of scoping will be held in early 2007 for the public's input or alternatives. The CPUC and BLM will hold additional meetings in early February regarding alternatives to the project that are proposed to be fully analyzed in the EIR/EIS and those determined to be eliminated from detailed analysis. These meetings will be noticed separately and a second scoping report (Part 2) will be available for review. Contact: Billie C. Blanchard (CPUC - Tel. (415) 703-2068, Fax (415)703-2200, Email: bcb at cpuc dot ca dot gov), and Linda Kastoll (BLM), EIR/EIS Project Managers October Update The public comment period regarding the proposed routes through Anza-Borrego closed on October 20. (These are the routes that SDG&E proposed in August.) Administrative Law Judge Steven Weissman ruled that there will be additional public meetings and public comment regarding the "Sunrise Powerlink." His ruling was in response to a legal filing by the Center for Biological Diversity and San Diego Sierra Club. The dates have not been announced. First the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are to determine which potential alternate routes for the Powerlink they want to study. After that, dates will be set and announced. However, this will only happen if those two government agencies decide they want to fully study new alternate routes that avoid Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Environmental laws require careful consideration of alternatives to the Powerlink, so there is a good chance new alternate routes somewhere will be fully studied. Otherwise, the CPUC and BLM risk being sued. Because of the judge's ruling, it was not necessary to submit comments regarding the routes through the Cleveland National Forest that SDG&E presented earlier this month. So if you wanted to send in comments about those but didn't get a chance, it's OK. If the CPUC decides to fully study those routes, there will be public meetings and a comment period then.     February 2008 Hearings Community Briefing WHEN: Monday, February 18th, 7:00 p.m. WHERE: Charles Nunn Performing Arts Center, 1521 Hanson Lane, Ramona WHAT: Learn about simple things you can do to get involved and protect our local community! RSVP: Denis Trafecanty, 760-703-1149 or denis at vitalityweb dot com or Micah Mitrosky, 619-299-1797 or mmitrosky at sierraclubsandiego dot org. Bill Powers P.E., Regional Power Expert and the author of the San Diego Smart Energy 2020 Plan: The 21st Century Alternative, and others will give you the facts and answer your questions in preparation for the pubic meetings the following week. At this meeting you will learn the salient points of the Smart Energy Plan and you will learn what the EIR/EIS is recommending to the CPUC. You will learn what to say in the public meetings. Hearings This is your opportunity to speak out to protect our community from the unnecessary Sunrise Powerlink project! Please attend one or more of the hearings listed below: February 25, 2008 @ 1:30 pm - Board of Supervisors Chamber County Administration Center - 1600 Pacific Coast Highway - San Diego, CA February 25, 2008 @ 6:30 pm - Mountain Empire High School 3305 Buckman Springs Rd. - Pine Valley, CA 91962 February 26, 2008 @ 1:00 pm - Borrego Springs Resort 1112 Tilting T. Drive - Borrego Springs, CA 92004 February 26, 2008 @ 7:00 pm - Charles Nunn Performing Arts Center 1521 Hanson Lane - Ramona, CA 92065 February 27, 2008, @ 10:30 am - Julian Town Hall 2129 Main Street - Julian, CA For more information, see: http://sdsmartenergy.org/hearing.shtml Additional Scoping Results Released SDG&E Sunrise Powerlink Project Scoping Report - Part II A second round of scoping for the EIR/EIS for the SDG&E Sunrise Powerlink (the proposed 150-mile transmission line between the El Centro area of Imperial County and northwestern San Diego County) was conducted from January 22 to February 24, 2007. There were 8 public scoping meetings. The Second Scoping Report, summarizing all comments received during the second scoping period, includes copies of all written comments and transcripts of the oral comments made at the 8 meetings. This report, as well as all other information about this project, will be posted on the project website: http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/environment/info/aspen/sunrise/sunrise.htm Kelly has a roundup of news coverage on her blog at: http://kdfuller.blogspot.com/ For more information about the alternatives, see: http://sandiego.sierraclub.org/conservation/issues/SRPL.pdf Since the fall 2006 scoping period, the EIR/'EIS team has completed preliminary assessment of nearly 100 alternatives to the proposed Sunrise Powerlink Project. Second Round Scoping Meetings A second scoping period has been scheduled to allow the public to provide input to the EIR/EIS team on its preliminary assessment of all identified alternatives. This second round is in response to a motion filed by the Sierra Club and the Center for Biological Diversity. Following is a list of meeting sites and times: El Centro: Monday, Feb 5, 2007 - 12:30 - 2:00 PM. Location: Imperial County Board of Supervisors, 940 W. Main St., Suite 219, El Centro.   San Diego-Rancho Penasquitos: Monday, Feb. 5, 2007 - 7:30 - 9:30PM. Location: Doubletree Golf Resort, 14455 Penasquitos Dr., San Diego 92129.   Julian: Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2007 - 2:00 - 4:00 PM. Location: Wynola Pizza Express (The Red Barn), 4355 Hwy 78, Julian (760-789-8290)   Ramona: Tues. Feb 6, 2007 - 7:00 - 9:00 PM. Location: San Vicente Inn, 24157 San Vicente Rd., Ramona   Boulevard: Wednesday, Feb 7, 2007 - 1:00 - 3:00 PM. Location: Boulevard Fire Dept., 39223 Hwy 94, Boulevard   Alpine: Wednesday Feb. 7, 2007, 6:30 - 8:30 PM. Location: Alpine Community Center, 1830 Alpine Blvd., Alpine (619-445-7330)   Borrego Springs: Thursday, Feb 8, 2007, 2:00 - 4:00, Location: Borrego Springs Resort, 11122 Tilting T Dr., Borrego Springs (760-767-5700)   Temecula: Friday, Feb 9, 2007 - 1:00 - 3:00 PM, Location: City Hall Council Chambers, 43200 Business Park Dr., Temecula A list of proposed alternatives is available at the Sierra Club attached to this notice as well as at 28 libraries and other facilities within the project area. Additional information is available at http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/environment/info/aspen/sunrise/sunrise.htm. Legal Ruling SDG&E Sunrise Powerlink Project - Legal Ruling The Utility Consumer Action Network (UCAN) raised concerns about the scope of supplemental testimony being prepared by SDG&E regarding the Sunrise Powerlink, specifically differences between SDG&E's original testimony and its supplemental testimony. An Administrative Law Judge has ruled that SDG&E has "an affirmative obligation to correct errors in previously distributed testimony where it discovers those errors. As part of its supplemental testimony to be distributed on January 26, 2007, SDG&E shall include an exhibit comparing the assumptions, results, and conclusions from its supplemental testimony to those found in its original testimony in August, 2006." A series of 6 telephonic discovery conferences has been scheduled between January 9 and February 27, 2007. An additional workshop shall take place February 2, 2007 (location to be announced later) so that SDG&E can identify differences between its original testimony and supplemental testimony, explain the reason for the changes, and discuss new discovery requirements prompted by the new testimony. Law Judge's ruling signed December 21, 2006, by Steven Weissman, Administrative Law Judge. PowerLink Information Alternatives Alternatives to building the Powerlink include better SDG&E programs for conservation, demand management, and energy efficiency more local renewable energy, based on proven technology, not experimental technology replacing current transmission lines with new wires that can conduct more electricity more local power generation other potentially less destructive transmission upgrades Find out more about the Sunrise Powerlink: Kelly's blog - kdfuller.blogspot.com and Peoples Powerlink - www.peoplespowerlink.org. CUSP - cuspsandiego.org/info.shtml Wilderness For All - http://wilderness4all.org      Typical Transmission Lines Smart Energy Solutions Smart Solutions Page Back to Coaster Page