John wrote on Feb 23, 2008 8:24 PM:With the support of 60 elected officials, and 2,000 businesses, organizations and individuals, it hardly seems that the Sunrise promoters are a silent majority. Along with the two pro-business, republican politicians that wrote this vain and snobbish plea, they are a noisy, clap-trap mob, trying to ram the power line through the park. There are alternative routes that are perfectly fine and make just as much "common sense" as anything SDGE has stumped for.

To John wrote on Feb 24, 2008 8:43 AM:Thank you for your excellent rebuttal to this clap trap nonsensical payola ladden project and silly editorial.
If utilities was loosen their grip on power and offer more rebates for solar, dual pane windows, etc. we wouldn't need a project like this at all. Plus this project, as John stated, is not the best route nor has it been proven that it's needed at all.

Patrick wrote on Feb 24, 2008 9:34 AM:With all due respect for the mayors of Poway & San Marcos, your vision is myopic.
We as a people continue to waste energy & resources at an alarming rate. Under those conditions of course we would need more transmission lines. The point is that we DON'T need more transmission lines. We need more responsible use of our current & future renewable energy & resources. To some it doesn't matter under any curcumstances that Sunrise Powerlink, as proposed by SDGE would ruin forever the internationally significant Anza-Borrego Desert.
Bottom line - SDGE wants to make it's stockholders happy and to that I say - there ARE other ways without destroying the environment under the guise of providing more energy.

Floyd wrote on Feb 24, 2008 10:56 AM:That's quite a stretch, claiming that power poles and transmission lines will destroy the entire Anza Borrego Desert. Maybe you haven't noticed, but during the summer heat when we need air conditioning to prevent heat stroke we run out of power. We need new generation capacity and the infrastructure to deliver it. Sunrise Powerlink will help accomplish that task.

Walt wrote on Feb 24, 2008 12:02 PM:Is the anti power line vocal minority part of the same environmental movement complaining about dirty power plants in Carlsbad, Escondido and Chula Vista?

DD Wiz wrote on Feb 24, 2008 12:31 PM:We do not need more power lines destroying sensitive environmental habitats and setting off fires when the wind blows. Take the millions of dollars being proposed for this environmental boondoggle and put solar panels on all the empty rooftops in the county and we won't need more power when the sun is shining and people are turning on their air conditioners. The energy companies are terrified of losing control of their captive markets.

Laura wrote on Feb 24, 2008 2:07 PM:I guess Mayor Cafagna, Mayor Desmond and other SDG&E faithfuls have cornered the market on “common sense”. They don’t want to be confused by the FACTS put forth by the EXPERTS at the CPUC hearings regarding the Sunrise Powerlink. What do you say we leave it to the energy and environmental experts at the CPUC whose job it is to evaluate this project? Mr.Cafagna fails to note that if the renewable energy in the Imperial Valley were already available, it would already be able to flow to San Diego over the Southwest Powerlink (in fact, it would be required to do so by the now state mandated loading order). The only problem is that the Southwest Powerlink is already congested with fossil fueled energy that SDG&E/Sempra is not willing to replace with renewables. As the “the manager of the state's power grid” the Cal ISO has never met a transmission line it doesn’t like. Tell us how much sense it would make for Cal ISO to be against the Sunrise Powerlink? There are 5 environmentally superior alternatives to achieveing 1000MW of additional energy listed in the Sunrise Powerlink’s Draft Envirnomental Impact Report. According to EXPERTS, some of the environmentally superior alternatives noted in the DEIR are also more efficient and less costly. Sunrise is clearly not the best solution to meeting our energy needs, it is simply the most profitable for SDG&E – ratepayers be damned. And to the politicians supporting the line, Sempra is a pretty powerful supporter so constituents be damned. Sunrise will undermine our ability to achieve many of the goals of the State’s Energy Action Plan and the San Diego Regional Energy Strategy like maximizing local and distributed generation, local renewables and increased efficiency and conservation. It makes MORE COMMONE SENSE to support the overall environmentally superior alternative of all source in-area generation. It is less damaging, more efficient and lower risk: Remember that local generation rather than transmission is what “kept the lights on” during the October wildfires.

BORREGO ZORO wrote on Feb 24, 2008 3:48 PM:The Mayors have it right. The only feasible solution to more power for this region is the one they suggest. The enviro-nuts are chronic nay-sayers and whiners of the first order. They are a form of NIMBYitis. Let's get going on the Sunrise Power Link NOW. Anybody who knows anything about this issue supports it. The negativists wouldn't know a watt from a volt.

DD Wiz wrote on Feb 24, 2008 4:43 PM: The post from "BORREGO ZORO" (3:48pm) proves that the SDG&E lobby cannot discuss facts. All they can do is call names: "enviro-nuts," "chronic nay-sayers," "whiners," "NIMBYitis," "negativists wouldn't know a watt from a volt." Pure childish name-calling. Not a single point of substance.
The FACT is that if the same amount of money proposed for Powerlink were spent putting solar on empty rooftops, when excess summer sunshine pushed people to start their air conditioners, we would not need this fire-causing long-distance transmissionn source.
The North County Times business section today, and many other articles in recent weeks, has highlighted the increased use of solar. It is feasible NOW.
Powerlink is a desperate attempt by a greedy energy company to prevent ratepayers from breaking free of its iron grip.

John wrote on Feb 24, 2008 5:09 PM:The real vocal minority here is the gaggle of PR warriors employed by Sempra, our ego-lected officials and 2,000 businesses, etc. If they make enough noise - they may sway opinion in favor of their preferred route. My ears hurt.

John wrote on Feb 24, 2008 5:41 PM:Rob a little from here and there. Clip a campground to build a toll road. Slice a state park in half with power lines. The cravings for energy and convenience are overpowering. The dealers have us hooked and they are making money. Like junkies strung out on smack - we are stealing from the future to pay for today.

solarguy wrote on Feb 24, 2008 7:32 PM:solar on rooftop sounds great but is not a reliable option until it becomes affordable to everyone. if not enough people opt for a solar roof, we are stuck without enough energy.

conservation sounds nice, but if not enough people conserve we are stuck without eough energy.

the state has MANDATED SDGE to provide 20 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2010. How else can it achieve that without a new power line?

DD Wiz wrote on Feb 24, 2008 9:01 PM: The post from "solarguy" (7:32pm) shows he completely missed my point.
1. Solar is affordable for most homeowners and businesses NOW. If you own you own home and have reasonable equity, you can refinance (as my wife and I did to get full solar and ZERO electric bill), and the cost for solar is offset by having NO ELECTRIC BILL. Note the number of businesses, large and small, from a local monastery to Costco to Wal-Mart that recognize this makes $en$e NOW.
2. For those where affordability is a problem, I GAVE THE SOLUTION IN MY FIRST POST at 12:31pm. USE THE COST OF POWERLINK and, instead of spending gazillions of dollars on a boondoggle to devastate sensitive environment with equipment that is prone to set fires (hey, we got evacuated last October and don't want to do it again), USE THAT MONEY to provide incentives to help people defray the cost of solar. Spend the money on solar! Pay a third or even a half of the cost, and I assure you those who are "on the fence" right now won't be able to get the installation completed fast enough.
The idea that solar is "not affordable" is so last century.
Either that or those who make a killing of high energy transmission rates don't want homeowners to know the truth.
THE MONEY IS THERE -- the question is, do we want to throw it away on a desert boondoggle, or help real homeowners become energy independent?
Oh yeah, that last thing -- what terrifies the energy czars.
That's the real issue.

Duncan wrote on Feb 25, 2008 11:19 AM:What nerve! SDG&E cite the power shortages of a couple of years ago to justify the Powerlink, shortages artificially induced by their parent Sempra. Hey dudes, where is the nine billion you stole from Californians?
That's pay for rooftop solar for everyone. ...