Julian may fight to keep power line away

By: BRADLEY J. FIKES - Staff Writer | Tuesday, November 15, 2005 10:09 PM PST ∞

RAMONA ---- San Diego Gas & Electric Co.'s new power-line system proposal won't be built anywhere near Julian, if a local citizens group has its way.

The Julian Energy Group and others in the town will work to keep the Sunrise Powerlink away from the historic small town, said Jeanette Hartman, a spokesman for the group.

"Julian is a historic town, and we realize we have to live on tourism, and it's important that it maintain its quaint, pristine state. A 500-kilovolt line going through would turn it into an industrial site," Hartman said at a meeting held by the utility to discuss potential routes for the 500-kilovolt transmission lines.

The meeting, held Tuesday night at Ramona Elementary School, was attended by about 20 members of the public. Two additional meetings, called "open houses" are planned for later this month. The utility says the Sunrise Powerlink, which will transmit electricity generated by solar, wind and geothermal sources to the area, is necessary to ensure the region has enough electricity in coming years.

The utility is months away from selecting the exact route for the Sunrise Powerlink. It would run from the Imperial Valley to a new substation in North County, then southwest to SDG&E's Penasquitos substation, which despite its name is located in Carmel Valley. A 230-kilovolt set of lines would then go out to more urbanized parts of San Diego.

SDG&E officials at the meeting said they are committed to finding the path that causes the least disruption, to the environment or people, and will work with the public to meet their concerns.

But Hartman said the group is nevertheless taking seriously the possibility that the lines could pass through Julian, and will fight against it.

"It looks like a very real possibility," Hartman said during a meeting break. "It's on the map. It looks like the shortest route. It looks to me like it could be their preferred route."

Recently, the Julian Energy Group successfully opposed plans by a wind-energy company to test windmills on Banner Grade, near Volcan Mountain.

"I can assure you that the town will be united in opposing a 500-kilovolt line through it," Hartman said, referring to that controversy. The company that had planned to build the windmills, AES Seawest Inc., withdrew its application with the Bureau of Land Management last month after intense community opposition.

Hartman also asked SDG&E whether the utility planned to use the lines to export power from San Diego.

"We have no plans to do that," said David L. Geier, vice president of electric transmission and distribution. "All the power is contracted to stay in San Diego."

Geier explained that the utility has next to no generating capacity, having divested itself of its power plants during the deregulation period of the 1990s.

"There was a time when a lot of people were pushing us to build more power plants in San Diego," Geier said, apparently referring to the energy crisis of 2000-01, when California experienced repeated blackouts. "Then you do get to a point from an economic point of view where you would be able export that. But we're not even close to that yet."

Contact staff writer Bradley J. Fikes at bfikes@nctimes.com or (760) 739-6641.