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San Diego Gas & Electric wants to build a transmission line that would cut through Temecula, from one side of the Coachella Valley city to the other.
Temecula officials don’t think that’s a good idea.
On May 26, the city council voted 5-0 to oppose the project. It also instructed City Manager Aaron Adams to use every tool at his disposal to keep the project from happening.
The council will vote on a formal resolution of opposition at its July 14 meeting, but that will not stop SDG&E from proceeding with its plan. Ultimately, the California Public Utilities Commission, will decide Golden Pacific Powerlink’s fate.
In the meantime, Temecula officials will do whatever they can do stop the 145 miles of power lines from ever being built.
“This is a huge decision for the city, because if this is built it can never be undone,” Councilman Zak Schwank said. “It would be a huge scar on the landscape, which is why we’re leveraging all of our resources and fighting it with everything we have.
“This absolutely needs to be stopped, and we’re here to stop it.”
Golden Pacific Powerlink will be made up of 500-kilovolt transmission lines strung between towers that would be 191 feet tall in some places.
The extra-high voltage lines will run from the Imperial Valley through Anza Barrego Desert State Park and Southwest Riverside County, before connecting with the decommissioned San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station south of San Clemente.
The transmission lines will bring the regional power grid up to modern standards, cut energy congestion, and deliver renewable energy to millions of customers in Riverside, Orange and San Bernardino counties, according to SDG&E.
Southwest Riverside County and the Coachella Valley aren’t the only regions in California that need upgraded transmission lines.
“Statewide, there is a need for new electricity generation and delivery capacity to meet future demand,” states a 10-page analysis of the project released by SDG&E. “Without new transmission pathways, electricity – regardless of where it is generated – cannot be delivered to major population centers, where the demand will be highest.”
Since learning of the project in April, Temecula officials have raised multiple objections to Golden Pacfic Powerlink, including possible environmental problems, a reduction of property values, and possible damage to the city’s tourist industry.
In a June 4 letter to the city, SDG&E pointed out that Golden Pacific Powerlink is in its early planning phase, and called the proposed corridor “a starting point for analysis, not a final decision.”
The utility also acknowledged that “any route will create questions and concerns from members of the public.”
That’s putting it mildly.
The public hearing regarding the Golden Pacific Powerlink lasted nearly four hours during which a series of residents and members of the city’s business community expressed their opposition. Many raised concerns about what the project might do to their property values, and what aesthetic damage it might cause to a city known for its nearly 50 wineries, annual balloon festival and Old Town Temecula.
“We have to protect our heart,” said Abraham Feltus, a Temecula resident for approximately 50 years and a retired owner of a landscaping company. “We can’t allow Edison’s transmission lines expose our community to illness.
“We need to say no, no, no, and tell them to shop someplace else. Put the transmission lines in the ground.”
Approximately 500 people attended the meeting, enough to fill up the council chamber and a nearby room.
“The community showed up tonight, and we appreciate that,” Schwank said. “We’ve also received a lot of comments online. All of that showed the city has some fight in its belly. That’s important, because we’re in this for the long haul.”
Constructing such a large transmission line an area vulnerable to wildfires is “particularly concerning,” Mayor Pro Tem Matt Rahn told SDG&E.
“The proposed alignment traverses one of the most environmentally sensitive, culturally significant, and wildfire-prone landscapes in Southern California,” Rahn said in a sharply-worded letter to the utility dated May 4. “It is, by any objective standards, one of the most unsuitable alignments for infrastructure of this scale and risk.
“You could have drawn by hand nearly any other alignment in Southern California and not have made this massive a mistake.”
Opposition to Golden Pacific Powerlink is not limited to city hall.
The Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce, Visit Temecula Valley, the Temecula Valley Wine Growers Association, the Old Town Temecula Association, the Pechanga Band of Indians, the Temecula Valley Hospital, and the Southwest Riverside County Association of Realtors have all stated concerns about the project, or opposed it outright.
Most infrastructure corridors are built before any development takes place, but SDG&E’s transmission lines will be built in the path of homes, neighborhoods, schools, community parks, and businesses that were developed years ago, said Vic Carrillo, president of the realtor’s association.
“We believe this proposal is misguided, poorly timed, and ultimately harmful to existing property owners and established communities throughout Southwest Riverside County,” Carrillo wrote in a May 4 letter to SDG&E. “Our region has worked diligently to expand housing opportunities, strengthen economic investment, and preserve the quality of life that attracts families and businesses.
“Projects of this magnitude should not undermine those efforts.”
The battle between Temecula and SDG&E is not likely to be resolved soon, said Betsy Lowrey, the city’s public information officers and assistant to the city manager.
“The only way this can be resolved quickly is if the project does not route through Temecula, Temecula Valley,” Lowrey said in an email. “We strongly suggest staying out of Riverside County altogether. There are better routes that do not include Temecula Valley. “
