Proposed power plant questioned by residents

TEMECULA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA - A public discussion on a controversial hydroelectric power plant proposed for the Lake Elsinore area grew heated as residents questioned project proponents on issues ranging from transportation to the impact on homes near the project area.

About 40 people attended the event sponsored by the nonpartisan Democracy for America Temecula Valley chapter. Several people questioned what benefit the project would have for area residents and called for the project's co-sponsors - the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District and the San Diego County-based Nevada Hydro Co. - to include the public in the process.

"Let us sit in when the water district is meeting with Nevada Hydro," Lakeland Village resident Linda Ridenour said.

The proposed Lake Elsinore Advanced Pump Storage Project, more commonly known as LEAPS, would pump water uphill from Lake Elsinore to a reservoir so it can be released back downhill, powering turbines that generate electricity during peak demand hours.

The electricity would be transmitted in power lines running through about 30 miles of the Cleveland National Forest and would end near Camp Pendleton.

Proponents have said it would fill a need in Southern California by generating 500 megawatts of electricity, as well as stabilizing lake levels, creating economic opportunities and offsetting future costs for lake management.

"The biggest threat to that lake is drought," said Ron Young, general manager of the Elsinore Valley Water District. The project would "create a sustainable environmental solution."

In previous public hearings on the project, opponents have cited many concerns about the project, ranging from environmental impacts to possible fire hazards and the loss of scenic mountain views.

"It can only hinder property values," said water district board member Chris Hyland, who has broken ranks with fellow board members as an outspoken opponent of the project.

The estimated $1.3 billion project has been working its way through a lengthy federal permit process. A final environmental impact report is due later this summer.