San Diegans consider EVs as gas prices continue to increase
<<<HEADLINES>>>
Good Morning, I’m Lawrence K. Jackson….it’s TUESDAY, APRIL 28TH>>>> [ ARE RECORD HIGH GAS PRICES PUSHING PEOPLE TOWARDS ELECTRIC VEHICLES?]More on that next. But first... the headlines….#######
AS OF 6 A-M THIS MORNING, A TWENTY-FOUR HOUR, MAXIMUM ENFORCEMENT PERIOD IS IN PLACE ON OUR HIGHWAYS AS THE C-H-P FOCUSES ON SPEEDING
THE AGENCY’S GOAL IS TO REDUCE FATAL AND SERIOUS CAR ACCIDENTS
LAST YEAR, C-H-P SAYS THAT MORE THAN 68-THOUSAND PEOPLE WERE INJURED AND MORE THAN 400 LIVES WERE LOST IN CRASHES CAUSED BY UNSAFE SPEEDS
THE MAXIMUM ENFORCEMENT PERIOD IS IN PLACE UNTIL 6 A-M TOMORROW MORNING
#######
AN ALLEGED GUATEMALAN DRUG KINGPIN WAS ARRESTED IN SAN DIEGO
THE U-S ATTORNEY’S OFFICE SAYS THAT EUGENIO [EHL-HENEO] DARIO MOLINA-LOPEZ ALSO REFERRED TO AS "DON DARIO" IS FACING FEDERAL DRUG DISTRIBUTION CHARGES
ON FRIDAY HE PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO THOSE CHARGES IN A FEDERAL COURT HERE IN SAN DIEGO
MOLINA-LOPEZ ALLEGEDLY LED A DRUG TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION BASED OUT OF NORTHWEST GUATEMALA
AT ONE POINT IN TIME, A TEN MILLION DOLLAR REWARD WAS OFFERED FOR ANY INFORMATION LEADING TO HIS CONVICTION AND CAPTURE
########
TEMPERATURES THIS WEEK ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN MILD OVERALL
FAIR WEATHER WITH A WARMING TREND IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN TODAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY
FORECASTERS ANTICIPATE THAT WEDNESDAY WILL BE THE WARMEST DAY THIS WEEK WITH TEMPERATURES LANDING NEAR THEIR SEASONAL AVERAGES
AND THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN ACROSS OUR REGION WEDNESDAY NIGHT
From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now.Stay with me for more of the local news you need.
<<<UNDERWRITING BREAK>>
######
<<<MUSIC BUMP INTO A BLOCK>>
##########
GAS PRICES IN SAN DIEGO KEEP CLIMBING AS THE IRAN WAR CONTINUES. FOR OUR NEXT INSTALLATION OF “PRICE OF SAN DIEGO”... REPORTER KATIE ANASTAS SAYS HIGH PRICES ARE PUSHING MORE PEOPLE TO CONSIDER SWITCHING TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
GASEV1 1:04 SOQ
Just before federal tax credits expired in September, Clairemont resident Rick Thompson got an electric vehicle.
THOMPSON
I used to drive a diesel vehicle before, and now, like, near where I live in Clairemont. It's about $8 a gallon, for diesel fuel.
Thompson estimates he spends an equivalent of $2.70 per gallon to charge his EV at home. That’s less than half of the average price of regular gas in San Diego.
On Monday it was $5.99 per gallon. Kandace Redd is a spokesperson for AAA. She says California has the highest gas prices in the country, but it’s not the most expensive place to charge an EV.
REDD
We know that’s because of a large and competitive charging network, that widespread home charging options and lower off-peak electricity rates all help keep prices from reaching the highest levels.
EV’s are usually more expensive to buy new than gas-powered cars. But Cox Automotive says more used EVs could soon be on the market. Thousands of leases will end this year, and many of them will be sold as used cars. Katie Anastas, KPBS News.
##########
SAN DIEGO COUNTY STARTED CONSTRUCTION YESTERDAY (MONDAY) ON CABINS FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN EAST COUNTY.
EAST COUNTY REPORTER ELAINE ALFARO SAYS THE PROJECT FACED SETBACKS ALONG THE WAY AND SOME QUESTIONS REMAIN.
LGCABINS 1 (1:10)
**NATS OF CONSTRUCTION
The once empty lot at the corner of Troy Street and Sweetwater Road is now bustling with construction workers.
It will soon host 60 cabins that could shelter one to two people each. The county also plans to offer onsite case management support for the residents.
Dijana (DEE-ana) Beck is the director for the County's Office of Homeless Solutions.
BECK SOT
“We all know that communities are safer when people are housed and this project aims to provide safe interim housing to help bridge people to stability and permanency.”
But the project has had its fair share of critics. And it's hit roadblocks along the way – from getting access to the land to securing funding for the project.
Lemon Grove City Councilmember Yadira Altamirano is one of the critics.
ALTAMIRANO SOT
“The concerns still exist. We're not quite sure who the operator will be, that I know, to my knowledge, I would like the community to have input, to… for there to be some type of accountability program, an oversight committee”
The county is looking for a homeless provider to be the site operator. Once completed, the cabins could open in summer 2027.
Elaine Alfaro, KPBS News.
##########
TO THE NORTH OF THE IMPERIAL VALLEY, ANOTHER BATTLEGROUND IS EMERGING IN THE DEBATE OVER AI DATA CENTERS.
REPORTER KORI SUZUKI SAYS RESIDENTS ARE PUSHING BACK AGAINST A LARGE DATA CENTER CAMPUS IN THE CITY OF COACHELLA.
MOREDATA 1 (:54) SOQ
_________________________
The proposal is for a data center campus that would cover two hundred and forty acres. At a meeting last week, residents urged the Coachella City Council to hold a public discussion about the project.
20260422_moredata_coachella city council excerpt / 00:59
The data centers would also connect to iid, which means it would impact all existing customers across the coachella valley and in imperial county.
Stephanie Ambriz is a resident of Coachella. She pointed out that the city gets their power from the Imperial Irrigation District, the Imperial Valley’s powerful public utility. Coachella is currently in the process of trying to create its own municipal utility.
20260422_moredata_coachella city council excerpt / 00:25
You can build a utility without data centers, and we deserve a say in the development of our future utility.
Several City Councilmembers said they would push for a public discussion. Earlier this month, city officials said they haven’t approved anything yet. And that the project would require a full environmental impact report.
This month, the Pew Research Center found that most new data centers are being proposed in rural areas.
Kori Suzuki, KPBS News.
########## {no music bump}
AND NOW, TO ANOTHER ONGOING BATTLE…
MEXICO BROKE GROUND YESTERDAY (MONDAY) ON A PROJECT DESIGNED TO MANAGE TIJUANA’S SEWAGE BETTER AND KEEP LESS OF IT FROM SPILLING INTO SAN DIEGO.
THE PROJECT INVOLVES UPGRADING PUMP STATIONS IN TIJUANA. THEY HAVE REPEATEDLY FAILED AND SENT MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF RAW SEWAGE INTO THE TIJUANA RIVER.
JOHN BECKHAM IS WITH THE NORTH AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK. IT’S FINANCING THE PROJECT. HE SAYS UPGRADING THE STATIONS ARE CRITICAL IN STOPPING THE SEWAGE CRISIS.
PUMPSTATION 2A 00:10
“We have to make sure this is done right. It's done with quality. Alone, it won't actually solve the problem if it doesn't have somewhere to pump the water. If the pipes aren't working properly.”
THE BANK SAYS THE PUMP STATION PROJECT WILL BE PAID FOR IN PART BY A 13 MILLION DOLLAR GRANT FROM THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY.
OFFICIALS SAY THE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED NEXT YEAR.
##########
For the 250th birthday of the United States this year, KPBS is looking back on San Diego’s own history.
The military can be credited with much of the area’s growth. One major military hub in the county is Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.
Military reporter Andrew Dyer has more on the past lives of the base.
MIRAMAR250
VO
What is today known as Miramar was once a vast tract of ranchland. It wasn’t even called Miramar.
San Diego Historian Jim Newland says that in the 19th century everything north of Mission Valley was considered “Linda Vista.”
01;20;05 - 01;29;06
Jim Newland, historian
So that's sort of north of Mission Valley up that way. Right? And so it was just generally known as the Linda Vista versus la mesa, which is the south of Mission Valley area.
EW Scripps renamed a part of the area Miramar when he moved into his ranch house in 1891.
During World War 1, the Army needed wide open spaces to train thousands of soldiers, and quickly.
And so the Miramar area’s long history with the military began. Camp Kearny was established roughly where the airfield is now.
Marine Colonel Erik Herrmann is the commanding officer of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar today.
22;05;32;10 - 22;05;46;11
Col. Erik Herrmann, MCAS Miramar
there were, you know, thousands of horses and mules, thousands of, infantrymen, training and, and prepping, to go overseas in battle.
At its height Camp Kearny housed about 30 thousand troops, a number that almost doubled San Diego’s population at the time.
It had more than 11 hundred buildings including 140 mess halls — all gone today.
Newland says the Army built it to be temporary — but it proved pivotal in San Diego’s development.
08;35;11 - 08;50;19
Jim Newland, historian
you know, probably half of the folks who got trained at Camp Kearny never saw any action or even got overseas, you know, but it was I think it was very important to sort of lock in that that we were open and a viable and very valuable asset to the military.
The Army closed the camp after the first world war.
In 1934, the Marines established a base at the southeast corner of the old Camp Kearny.
It was eventually named Camp Elliott. Today, its ruins remain where the 163 meets the 15.
Thousands of commuters speed through the abandoned base unaware as we tour the area with Colonel Herrmann.
22;06;58;26 - 22;07;09;02
Col. Erik Herrmann
what we see here, what we believe this is our, kind of the foundations from the headquarters buildings that were over here. There were about five different command headquarters on this side at Camp Elliott.
That’s where more than 50,000 Marines trained to ship off to the Pacific during World War Two.
At the time the base was among the most vital installations supporting the war..
22;06;05;09 - 22;06;15;07
Col. Erik Herrmann
before Camp Pendleton opened up, really, this was the only training ground, to prep young men, for the what they would see in World War two.
Halfway through the war the Marines opened Camp Pendleton 30 miles to the north, making Camp Elliott expendable.
There was talk of converting the base into a new civilian airport after World War II.
But that’s another story. We’ll have more on why that didn’t happen, in part two.
Andrew Dyer, KPBS News
<<<SHOW CLOSE>>>
That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. I’m Lawrence K. Jackson. Thanks for listening and subscribing; by doing so you are supporting public media and I really want to thank you for that. Have a great day!
