Wildland Issues

...maybe not yet, but it's well past noon.

You've read about it here before: SDG&E wants to build a new high voltage powerline across San Diego county, ruin some very pristine lands, and subject us all to even greater risk of wildfires. There are many reasons not to do it and San Diego County Department of Planning and Land Use has done a very good job of listing them. Check it out here. It's all still in the "draft" stage, so they haven't technically rejected the whole project, but it doesn't look good for SDG&E at this point.

People, contact your government and tell them to completely reject this ridiculous proposal. If enough of us call and write they will listen; you know why? Because the average citizen never bothers to contact them. Be the voice that matters. The California Public Utilities Commission has a section of their website dedicated to this project. Visit it here.

I do not focus on the Sunset Powerlink in this blog, but here is an excellent one that covers both the Powerlink fiasco and the alternatives:

http://kdfuller.blogspot.com/

SDG&E power lines started the Witch fire which burned hundreds of thousands of acres, thousands of home, killed people, killed wildlife, and left ash where once beautiful chaparral carpeted the land.

You would think they would try to reduce the likelihood of another such event, but you would be wrong. SDG&E is trying to build the "Sunrise" Powerlink right through the desert, the mountains, and the wildland preserves of the city. It's just that much more exposure to risk. And why? Because SDG&E could make some money from it. That's greed and they will make their money at our expense. The cost to us will be our wildlands, some of us will lose our homes, and a few will lose their lives. Just so SDG&E can route power produced in Mexican coal-fired powerplants into northern San Diego county. Don't be fools. Object to this with passion!

Take a look at one of their alternate routes: (Click the "play" arrow to watch this.)

(Thanks to Cindy Buxton for that nice presentation.)

There are alternatives for We The People. You can send your comments here: sunrise@aspeneg.com. Here is a link to the California Public Utility Commission's web page about the Sunrise Powerlink: www.cpuc.ca.gov/environment/info/aspen/sunrise/sunrise.htm. You can send written comments and objections here:

CPUC/BLM
c/o Aspen Environmental Group
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 935
San Francisco, CA 94104

You can fax them to: 866-711-3106

Please voice your objections. Let's bury SDG&E's proposal so deep in objections that the PUC cannot even find it.

You can also contact your state representative and/or senator. If they hear from enough of us they can help put pressure on from the top. And don't just object, suggest the solar alternative. We get enough sun here to supply most of our energy needs without any transmission lines at all.

--Brian