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MYTH |
SDG&E’s
twisted FACT |
THE REAL FACTS |
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Building local power plants is the key to energy
independence. |
It’s not that simple. Power plants take almost as long to
site, license and build as a transmission line and they require
transmission lines to deliver the power to homes and businesses. They
are operated in compliance with state and federal law, and under
contracts, so where they are located has little to do with energy
independence. Relying only on local generation ignores the real issue,
however, which is energy reliability. The entire western power grid is
interconnected, which improves reliability and reduces cost volatility.
San Diego already is an energy cul-de-sac. Turning the region into an
energy island would limit access to diverse power sources, including
renewables, and to less expensive energy. A combination of adding new
power plants and new transmission ensures that we don’t put all of our
eggs in one basket. |
There are plans for
revamping existing power plants in San Diego at South Bay that could
supply major portions of our energy needs with cleaner energy, but SDG&E
will not commit to buying energy from these plants until Sunrise
Powerlink is committed to being built. Also this plant is not owned by
SDG&E or SEMPRA but is owned by another company called Duke Energy hence
the hesitance to accept their power output.
Response
from Duke Energy |
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MYTH |
SDG&E’s
twisted FACT |
THE
REAL FACTS |
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SDG&E can meet the state’s renewable energy goal without
the Sunrise project. |
SDG&E could meet the goal of delivering 20 percent of its
energy from renewable resources by 2010 using existing transmission, but
at a much higher cost to customers. Right now, there are not enough
local renewables to meet the goal. SDG&E’s contract with Stirling Energy
Systems could deliver as much as 900 MW of solar power from the Imperial
Valley to our region, but not unless the Sunrise Powerlink is built.
SDG&E already has a contract for as much as 900 MW of
competitively priced solar power from a project planned for Imperial
Valley. The Sunrise Powerlink will enable this energy to reach customers
in San Diego, as well as other renewable resources that are expected to
be developed in the Imperial Valley. |
SDG&E may have a contract for this
solar energy but getting the Stirling Energy Systems to work and built
is a large gamble. SDG&E says they are committed to this path but if the
solar or thermal energy is not there they will just say they tried but
could not get it to work, so their only choice is to get fossil fuel
energy from Mexico and AZ to fill the Sunrise Powerlink lines.
Also IF Stirling's power is
sold at a higher price than that of the LNG fired Sempra plant in
Mexico, then SDG&E is NOT OBLIGATED to buy it over the cheaper, dirtier
stuff. This further complicates SDG&E meeting the RPS as mandated by
law, even IF in our wildest dreams, the facility is built on time and it
works. Bill Powers states that it is very unlikely, if not impossible,
for that energy to be cheaper than the other, especially if SDG&E
artificially controls or manipulates the price of the latter.
"Building A Margin
of Safety" into Renewable Energy Procurements:
A Review of Experience with Contract Failure.
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MYTH |
SDG&E’s
twisted FACT |
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A major power line through San Diego County’s backcountry
creates a fire hazard. |
According to the California Department of Forestry & Fire
Protection, transmission lines historically present a minimal fire risk.
Fire-fighting crews, including air tankers, are trained to work around
power lines, and routinely work closely with SDG&E’s fire coordinators
during a wildland fire. Fire officials say SDG&E’s access roads often
act as firebreaks and help fire crews reach remote areas in San Diego
County’s backcountry. |
The Pines fire was started by clipped power lines. Now
that the CPUC has told SDG&E to submit other alternative routes these
route they propose show the many fire hazards that are along the
existing lines that run through south San Diego county. Fire
departments will not cross or fight fires under power lines due to the
dangers involved.
Powerlink
will increase fire risk |
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MYTH |
SDG&E’s
twisted FACT |
THE REAL FACTS |
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SDG&E’s parent company, Sempra Energy, wants the line to
sell the energy from its power plants in Mexico. |
The power from plants in Mexico and the western United
States is already being delivered today across the existing transmission
system. These plants don’t need the Sunrise Powerlink.
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Look at the Imperial Substation link below and you make
your own decision. Also the lines that leave Mexico and come into the
U.S. are only carrying 1/2 of their capacity now while they wait for
more plants to be built that can supply even more dirty power to the
U.S.
SEMPRA’s Hidden Agenda
At a public meeting with SDG&E a rep for the company
stated "If the Imperial substation went down that would be a very bad
day". Since so much is concentrated in this one substation, how does his
statement coincide with his company's continued statements about Sunrise
providing reliability.
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MYTH |
SDG&E’s
twisted FACT |
THE REAL FACTS |
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SDG&E won’t commit to using the Sunrise Powerlink to
deliver only renewable power. |
By federal law, SDG&E does not control who uses the
Sunrise Powerlink or other transmission lines within California. The
agency that manages the statewide energy grid and the federal government
have that responsibility. This “open access” to transmission benefits
consumers because SDG&E and other utilities can deliver the cheapest
available power from throughout the desert Southwest and California. |
SDG&E may not control the lines but SEMPRA their parent
company with power plants right across the border in Mexico and with
plans for more plants if Sunrise is built will be glad to fill the lines
with their cheaper dirty fossil fuel power, to supply the citizens and
fill their pockets with the profits from a 1.5 billion dollar power line
paid for by the citizens of CA.
See above about Stirling
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MYTH |
SDG&E’s
twisted FACT |
THE REAL FACTS |
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If the CPUC doesn’t make a decision on the Sunrise
Powerlink this year, the federal government will step in. |
The Energy Act of 2005 allows the federal government to
step in on projects related to federally designated “national interest
energy corridors.” At this time,
no such corridors have been designated and the designation criteria
haven’t been determined yet. |
This
time may be upon us!!! Bush is not environmentally friendly
And
don’t think SEMPRA would not lobby for just such a thing to happen.
Energy
Corridor Programmatic EIS Comment 80071
NAFTA Super highway
North America’s SuperCorridor Coalition
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