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CPUC President supports
southern route for Sunrise
By Christy Scott
The Alpine Sun
The California Public Utilities
Commission (CPUC) last week released an Alternate Proposed
Decision by President Michael Peevey that approves San Diego Gas
and Electric Company’s (SDG&E) construction of the 150-mile
Sunrise Powerlink Transmission Project in order to meet
renewable power goals. This proposal is just one option
regarding Sunrise that the CPUC will be considering as early as
Dec. 18.
President Peevey’s Alternate Proposed Decision approves
the Final Environmentally Superior Southern Route for the line
in order to deliver renewable generation that would otherwise
remain unavailable. The southern route travels from Imperial
County through the communities of Boulevard, Campo and Descanso.
At the eastern end of Alpine the line would be undergrounded,
and would travel through the middle of town down Alpine
Boulevard to Puetz Valley.
“It is well recognized that the lack of transmission is
the single biggest barrier to meeting renewable power goals and
thus lowering greenhouse gas emissions,” said President Peevey.
“My Alternate Proposed Decision clears the way for a
new renewable energy superhighway, allowing us to tap into the
Imperial Valley’s rich renewable resources without delay or
unnecessary barriers.”
President Peevey’s Alternate Proposed Decision follows
Governor Schwarzenegger’s Executive Order, signed last week,
committing to increase the state’s renewable energy goal to 33
percent by 2020 and clear the red tape for renewable projects.
“Investors are lining up to pour hundreds of millions
of dollars into developing the Imperial Valley’s renewable
potential, bringing high-paying new jobs to the region and clean
energy to all Californians,” said President Peevey. “But before
they can break ground they need to know that they will be able
to move the energy to market.”
President Peevey’s Alternate Proposed Decision finds
that the line will generate net benefits of over $125 million
per year and is the best way to meet the Governor’s goals of
achieving greenhouse gas reductions through renewable
procurement at 33 percent levels in the shortest time possible.
“It is important to look at this issue from a
statewide, long-term perspective,” said President Peevey. “I
believe my Alternate Proposed Decision will facilitate CPUC
policy to achieve greenhouse gas reductions in the shortest time
possible with the greatest economic benefits.”
President Peevey’s Alternate Proposed Decision will be
considered by the CPUC’s five Commissioners along with two other
proposals: an Administrative Law Judge Proposed Decision that
denies the Sunrise application and an Alternate Proposed
Decision sponsored by Commissioner Dian M. Grueneich that
approves, with conditions, the Southern Route for Sunrise.
Parties may file comments on President Peevey’s
Alternate Proposed Decision. The CPUC’s first opportunity to
vote on the three proposals is Dec. 18.
The Administrative Law Judge proposal denies the
Sunrise application, stating that the line is not needed to meet
California’s renewable energy requirements, and that, if
constructed, it could result in very significant costs to
ratepayers and extensive environmental damage.
Among other things, the ALJ’s proposed decision states
SDG&E’s service area will not experience a reliability need or
“shortfall” until 2014, and the shortfall may be met more
economically and more reliably with generation-based
alternatives.
The other Alternate Proposed Decision sponsored by
Commissioner Dian M. Grueneich, the assigned Commissioner in the
Sunrise proceeding, approves, with conditions, the Final
Environmentally Superior Southern Route for Sunrise that is
described in the Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental
Impact Statement. This route avoids Anza-Borrego Desert State
Park and all tribal lands.
The Alternate Proposed Decision also concludes that
Sunrise is not needed to meet California’s current 20 percent by
2010 renewables requirement, but that it will be needed to meet
California’s greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals by
facilitating renewable procurement at 33 percent levels.
The Alternate Proposed Decision finds that if Sunrise
is used to deliver renewable power at 33 percent levels it will
generate over $100 million per year in ratepayer benefits. Thus,
the Alternate Proposed Decision requires SDG&E to prepare a
“Sunrise Compliance Plan” for CPUC approval that will ensure
that substantial amounts of Imperial Valley renewables will be
delivered on the line.
If SDG&E agrees to the condition, it will be permitted
to engage in pre-construction activities prior to the CPUC’s
approval of its compliance plan, but it may not engage in any
activities that could result in a material physical impact to
the environment.
“It is critical that we focus on our GHG goals,”
Grueneich said. “If Sunrise can deliver the Imperial Valley
renewables promised by SDG&E, we can go a long way toward
meeting those goals and provide hundreds of millions of dollars
in ratepayer benefits.”
For more information on the CPUC, please visit
www.cpuc.ca.gov.
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