Governor backs controversial power project


Substation Relay Protection Training

Our customized live online or in‑person group training can be delivered to your staff at your location.

  • Live Online
  • 12 hours Instructor-led
  • Group Training Available
Regular Price:
$699
Coupon Price:
$599
Reserve Your Seat Today
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger reportedly is pushing for approval of a project that would run a high-voltage power line through California's largest state park for 20 miles.

San Diego Gas & Electric's proposal would build industrial-style towers up to 160 feet tall to carry the new line through Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, east of San Diego. The line would carry renewable power from yet-to-be-built plants in the Imperial Desert.

Currently, wooden poles carry low-voltage lines through the park.

"The project's significance lies not only in its supplying additional power for a thriving and growing region but in doing so in way that truly moves California into the future," Schwarzenegger wrote to California public utility Commissioner Dian Grueneich, who is overseeing the project's application, the Times reported. The letter was written in December but came to light last month.

Lisa Page, a spokeswoman for the governor, said Schwarzenegger has not backed a specific route for the project and would rather the proposed line not go through the park "if it can be avoided."

But Schwarzenegger said in his letter to the Public Utilities Commission that he wanted "to offer my support" for the project.

Page said that when the governor wrote the letter details of a specific proposed route were not included in the filing he read, and "nowhere in his letter or in any of his statements or in any communication did he identify the northern route through Anza Borrego."

Anza-Borrego's 600,000 acres is home to a variety of wildlife and contains structures thought to be early human dwellings. The park is visited by nearly a million people per year.

A draft state and federal environment review completed in January said the project would:

• mar the scenic mountain and desert vistas on 90,000 acres in the park;

• jeopardize species such as the endangered bighorn sheep;

• fill campgrounds with loud buzzing.

The report found five preferable alternative routes for the high-voltage line.

California law requires utilities to supply 20 percent of their energy from renewable sources — such as sun and wind — by 2010. Six percent of SDG&E's power currently comes from such sources.

"The idea that we're going to sacrifice critical pieces of our environment to protect other pieces of our environment seems a little ironic," said Elizabeth Goldstein, president of the nonprofit California Parks Foundation.

The Public Utilities Commission is expected to decide on the proposed line by late summer.

Related News

Canadian Electricity Grids Increasingly Exposed to Harsh Weather

North American Grid Reliability faces extreme weather, climate change, demand spikes, and renewable variability; utilities,…
View more

US Grid Gets an Overhaul for Renewables

FERC Transmission Planning Overhaul streamlines interregional grid buildouts, enabling high-voltage lines, renewable integration, and grid…
View more

Effort to make Philippines among best power grids in Asia

NGCP-SGCC Partnership drives transmission grid modernization in the Philippines, boosting high-voltage capacity, reliability, and resilience,…
View more

U.S. residential electricity bills increased 5% in 2022, after adjusting for inflation

U.S. Residential Electricity Bills rose on stronger demand, inflation, and fuel costs, with higher retail…
View more

Lack of energy: Ottawa’s electricity consumption drops 10 per cent during pandemic

Ottawa Electricity Consumption Drop reflects COVID-19 impacts, with Hydro Ottawa and IESO reporting 10-12% lower…
View more

Alberta Electricity market needs competition

Alberta Electricity Market faces energy-only vs capacity debate as transmission, distribution, and administration fees surge;…
View more

Sign Up for Electricity Forum’s Newsletter

Stay informed with our FREE Newsletter — get the latest news, breakthrough technologies, and expert insights, delivered straight to your inbox.

Electricity Today T&D Magazine Subscribe for FREE

Stay informed with the latest T&D policies and technologies.
  • Timely insights from industry experts
  • Practical solutions T&D engineers
  • Free access to every issue

Download the 2026 Electrical Training Catalog

Explore 50+ live, expert-led electrical training courses –

  • Interactive
  • Flexible
  • CEU-cerified