An increase in people calling San Diego County home means a greater need for water and power and how to deliver it to San Diego has stirred up controversy among environmentalists, tribal leaders and back country residents. With me to look at the progress made in the last year is KPBS environmental reporter Ed Joyce.
Transcript
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AN INCREASE IN PEOPLE CALLING SAN DIEGO COUNTY HOME MEANS A GREATER NEED FOR WATER AND POWER AND HOW TO DELIVER IT TWO SAN DIEGO HAS STIRRED CONTROVERSY AMONG ENVIRONMENTALISTS TRY THE LEADERS IN BACKCOUNTRY RESIDENTS. WE MADE A LOOK AT THE PROGRESS. THIS MONTH BUT THAT'S ONLY THE LAST IN A REALLY LONG SEQUENCE OF EVENTS. THAT'S HAPPENING AROUND THE PROJECTS. WHAT WAS THE MONTH OF THE ROAD THAT HAD TO BE OVERCOME TO GET TO THIS POINT HERE.
THERE WERE A LOT OF REGULATORY HURDLES THERE ARE STILL CHALLENGES. THEY DID HAVE A CEREMONY RECENTLY ENDED BREAK GROUND ON THE PROJECT. AND BRING IT TWO SAN DIEGO COUNTY. BUT THERE ARE SOME WHO SAY THAT NOT NECESSARILY WOULD BE RENEWABLE ENERGY FROM IMPERIAL COUNTY. IT MIGHT BE SOME DIRTY FOSSIL FUEL ENERGY FROM MEXICO. THAT IS IN THE CASE. THEY'VE MADE THE CLAIM THAT THEY NEED AT POWERLINE STRICTLY TO TIE IN TO RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES IN THE IMPERIAL VALLEY. THAT'S BEEN THE CLAIM ALL ALONG. THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT OPINION OF THAT. IT ALSO SAID THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO GET THE ENERGY AND THAT THERE'S NO NEED FOR THAT POWERLINE. IT'S A PLANE FULL SEE AHEAD NOW OR COULD IT STILL BE STOPPED. THEY'VE MET ALL THE REALTOR APPROVALS. SO AS FAR AS STATE APPROVALS THEY PASS ALL THIS TEST. THEY HAVE GOTTEN APPROVAL FROM ALL OF THE PEOPLE.
THOSE HAVE YET TO PLAY OUT. WE'LL SEE HOW THAT GOES IN THE CORPORATE.
ASSUMING THAT THEY PLAY OUT HOW MUCH ADDITIONAL ENERGY IS EXPECTED TO BRING TO THIS AREA.
IT WOULD BRING ENOUGH POWER TO SUPPLY THE NEEDS OF 650,000 HOMES. THAT'S ONLY ONE PROJECT. THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER PROJECTS TO ACCOMPANY THE DEVOURING OF POWER. THERE'S SOME BE CALLED THE WINDFARM WHAT'S THAT.
THAT'S A WINDFARM THAT IS PROPOSED IN SOUTHEASTERN SAN DIEGO COUNTY. ANOTHER SUBSTATION. AS WE'LL AS THE WIND POWER PROJECT THIS TO BE A 236 WIND TURBINES. IT WOULD PROVIDE WIND ENERGY. THERE'S BEEN AN ENVIRONMENT TO REPORT ON THIS.
THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVES THEY WILL CONSIDER AND LOOK AT WHEN HE REVIEWED THIS. THEY DO SAY THERE'S A POSSIBLE VISIBILITY AIR RESOURCES, A LOT OF IMPACT BUT LOGICAL RESOURCES THAT WHAT HAPPENED WITH THAT WIND POWER PROJECT.
THAT OUR OBJECTIONS AND. YOU OFTEN THINK OF WIND POWER BEEN SO. BUT OBVIOUSLY TO SOME PEOPLE THERE IS SOME OPPOSITION.
IT DEPENDS ON WHETHER PROJECT IS LOCATED. IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE AREA HAS BEEN LIKE BEFORE YOU TAKE A DIFFERENT VIEW OF THE PEER.
IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT ALL THAT WE NEED YOU ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT WATER. WE'VE BEEN REALLY BUT LATELY. BUT WE HAD FOUR YEARS OF DROUGHT. ARE WE SO IN A DRAW.
TECHNICALLY NO. THE DROUGHT ENDED THIS YEAR. SO THE DROUGHT CYCLE IS OVER FOR NOW. WE NEED TO INCREASE OUR WATER.
WE'RE STILL GROWING. THERE'S ALWAYS A NEED FOR MORE WATER. BUT WE HAVE A PROPOSAL THAT'S BEEN APPROVED ARE REGULATORS.
SO WHAT'S NEXT. WE BEEN HEARING ABOUT FOR A LONG TIME. IT STARTED AROUND 2003 A+ HEARINGS, LOTS OF CHALLENGES. WE HAVE OUTSTANDING LAWSUITS CHALLENGING IT AS WE'LL.
