California's power grid operator releases a report today about whether San Diego needs the controversial Sunrise Powerlink. SDG&E is proposing a 120 mile power line to bring electricity from Imperial County. KPBS Radio's Andrew Phelps has more.
California's Independent System Operator studied the need for a line that would bring a thousand megawatts of power to San Diego. SDG&E says the county will need the extra juice in the next decade. Critics say the environmental impact isn't worth it because there are enough other sources of power. Kelly Fuller of the Sierra Club worries the program is getting support too early.
Fuller: "We're very concerned that politicians who have backed it, such as Mayor Jerry Sanders of San Diego, have essentially given the company a blank check We don't even know how much the project is going to cost at this point."
The California Public Utilities Commission will use the report's findings to make a decision. The public can respond at a hearing at 6 p.m. tonight at the San Diego Regional Energy Office in Kearny Mesa. For KPBS, I'm Andrew Phelps.
