Sunrise Powerlink
Sunrise Powerlink is a high-voltage power transmission line by San Diego Gas & Electric in San Diego County, California and Imperial County, California. The project was approved by the United States Forest Service in July 2010, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in January 2009 and the California Public Utilities Commission in December 2008. SDG&E stated that the long 230/500 kilovolt power line would bring 1000 megawatts of renewable energy from the Imperial Valley to San Diego County. The cost of the project was estimated to be $1.9 billion for construction. SDG&E, which was to receive a guaranteed profit of over $1.4 billion from the construction of the line, claimed that the power line was necessary to support future growth of the San Diego region, and its economic benefits to the region would measure on the order of $100 million per year. However, the project has been called one of the most controversial projects ever proposed.
Construction began in December 2010 and the line was energized in June 2012. In constructing the line, 30,000 helicopter flight hours were used.
Construction
In June 2012, major construction activities on the Sunrise Powerlink Project were completed. The line was energized on June 17, following a prolonged testing and completion phase.The overhead portion of the Sunrise Powerlink is proceeded on schedule with the construction of towers and tower foundations in Eastern San Diego County and Imperial County.
Work is also progressed on the new Suncrest Substation, which is a critical facility for the project. Upgrades to the existing San Luis Rey, Encina and Imperial Valley substations were also completed.
The underground portion of the line through Alpine also progressed with the installation of vaults under Alpine Boulevard. The vaults allow for the installation of the 230-kilovolt electrical cable and provide access for maintenance of the cable connections. Workers have also installed cable, which is fed into a manhole and "pulled" by a special machine through underground conduits.
The USFS issued a Record of Decision on July 13, 2010 that allows for a segment of the line to be built through the Cleveland National Forest.
The Interior Board of Land Appeals within the U.S. Department of the Interior issued a decision on May 14, 2010 rejecting the appeal filed by Backcountry Against Dumps and other East County organizations. BAD sought to reverse the BLM's approval of the line.
"Because Backcountry has failed to establish any error of law or fact in the Record of Decision, we will affirm BLM's decision to approve the granting of Rights-of-Way to SDG&E for an electrical transmission line and related activity for the Sunrise Powerlink Transmission Project," the ruling stated.
The IBLA concluded that the BLM decision was consistent with the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Historic Preservation Act.
On December 9, 2010 ground was broken in Boulevard, California to mark the start of construction on the project's first tower. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was at the ground breaking ceremony, along with several other local government leaders. During the ceremony, Schwarzenegger said the Sunrise Powerlink project should serve as an example to the nation of how to build green infrastructure. "We are well on our way to be an example for the rest of the nation, especially when it comes to infrastructure," Schwarzenegger said.
Key Documents
Final Project Modification Report: On May 14, 2010, SDG&E submitted the Final Project Modification Report to the CPUC and the BLM. The PMR fine-tunes the approved route and enhances the environmental preservation and protection components of the transmission line. These changes were made in order to minimize impacts to sensitive resources, accommodate landowners where possible and reduce engineering constraints.Highlights of the PMR include:
- More than 40 poles and structures eliminated
- Access roads reduced by, or nearly 60 percent, through increased use of helicopters for construction and maintenance
- Permanent impacts to sensitive vegetation communities reduced by
- Impacts to Quino Checkerspot Butterfly habitat reduced by a minimum of 58 percent
- Temporary impacts to Peninsular Bighorn Sheep habitat decreased by an average of 86 percent and permanent impacts decreased by an average of 74 percent
- Temporary and permanent impacts to U.S. and state waters reduced by 88 percent
Key Regulatory Findings
The project has generated much controversy since its conception, primarily due to questions concerning whether the line is necessary. However, it has been approved by all three major regulatory agencies that have jurisdiction over the project: the CPUC, BLM and USFS. In its final decision, the CPUC voted 4-1 on Dec. 18, 2008 to approve that the Sunrise Powerlink. Both the CPUC administrative law judge and the presiding commissioner assigned to the proceeding recommended against approval. The federal Bureau of Land Management approved the project on January 20, 2009.Renewable Energy
SDG&E has stated that the line is intended to carry renewable energy generated by the sun, wind and geothermal sources. In its 4-1 decision to approve the line, the CPUC stated that the Sunrise Powerlink will facilitate the development of Imperial Valley renewable energy projects capable of generating 1,900 megawatts of clean power. The decision further stated that this renewable energy would likely remain unavailable to San Diego without a new, secure transmission line. However, in a dissenting opinion, CPUC Commissioner Dian Grueneich stated that the application should be denied for the following reasons: It is not needed to meet SDG&E's renewable portfolio standard obligation of 20% by 2010; Assuming a 20% RPS, it is not economic and will potentially generate significant ratepayer costs; It will have many significant and unmitigable impacts on the environment; and Other alternatives will meet SDG&E's eventual reliability needs more economically and with fewer significant and unmitigable impacts on the environment.SDG&E is not legally obligated to carry any renewable energy on the line. In response to that concern, SDG&E President & CEO Debra Reed stated in testimony before the commission that the utility would make three voluntary commitments if Sunrise is approved. She stated that SDG&E would: not contract, for any length of term, with conventional coal generators that deliver power via Sunrise, replace any currently approved renewable energy contract deliverable via Sunrise that fails with a viable contract with a renewable generator located in Imperial Valley, and voluntarily raise SDG&E's renewable energy goal to 33 percent by 2020.
According to the Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative, east San Diego County, along with neighboring Imperial County and Northern Baja California, has a potential aggregate generating capacity of roughly 6,870 megawatts for solar energy, 3,495 MW for wind power and 2,000 MW for geothermal energy. Together, these renewable resources could potentially produce enough electricity to power 8 million homes at noon, on a sunny day, if the wind was turning windfarm turbine rotors at their theoretical maximum speed. Given Southern California capacity factors, however, of 28% for solar and 30% for wind, production at the quoted capacity would average one-third of that, or enough to power 2,666,000 homes.
This will help meet several state and federal policies and mandates for the increased use of green energy, including:
- President Obama's New Energy for America Plan: This plan seeks to ensure that 25 percent of the country's electricity comes from renewable sources by 2025. Roughly $6.5 billion included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is intended to provide tax relief and other incentives to develop the infrastructure necessary to move renewable energy from rural production areas to urban markets.
- California Renewables Portfolio Standard: This mandate requires utilities to provide at least 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2010. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed an executive order raising this threshold to 33 percent by 2020.
- California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 : This requires the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. A study by the University of San Diego identified increased use of renewable energy as the most effective means of reducing energy-related GHG emissions in the region.
Public Involvement
However, during this same period, SDG&E testified before the CPUC that the southern route was not feasible. The media and public hearings therefore focused on the northern route through Anza Borrego State Park, and opponents of the project claimed there was no media or public focus on the possible southern routes. While the CPUC did not refute the claim that there was not media or public focus on the southern route, the CPUC has stated that the legally required notifications occurred. SDG&E was required to notify property owners within of the proposed route.
After the last public participation hearing held by the CPUC in February 2008, SDG&E notified the CPUC and that the southern route was feasible. In October 2008, the CPUC fined SDG&E over $1.1 million for misleading the CPUC about the feasibility of the southern route. However, there were no subsequent CPUC public participation hearings in San Diego for the residents along the southern route.
The CPUC approved the southern route in December 2008. After the approval of the route, SDG&E held workshops in communities along the route, where they were criticized by community members who stated that were just learning about this route for the first time. Those critical of the lack of notification included the Lakeside Planning Group. However, the CPUC provided proof that the Lakeside Planning Group received all documentation and notification, however, this notification occurred during the time in which SDG&E was stating in public testimony that the southern route was not feasible. The CPUC confirmed that no current members of the planning group provided comment.
The CPUC and SDG&E state that they have held numerous workshops and community meetings to gather input and feedback on the Sunrise Powerlink. Community groups contend that the community meetings were not held until after the project was approved. The Final Environmental Impact Report documents the public involvement process, which included public meetings throughout the approval process, although none of those meetings were held in the impacted community of Lakeside.
The most recent phase of the post-approval public involvement process is a series of Community Council meetings. SDG&E has created seven Community Councils along the route that give the public the opportunity to provide input and feedback on the permitting and construction of the Sunrise Powerlink. Members, who live and work in the communities they represent, are being encouraged to share what they learn with residents and businesses in their communities. Community Councils are being created in: Imperial Valley, Campo, Boulevard, Jacumba, Alpine, Lakeside and the City of San Diego.
SDG&E has been criticized for hand-picking community members to sit on the community councils.