CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION HOLDS PUBLIC FORUM ON PEAKER POWER PLANTS; QUAIL BRUSH OPPONE [View all]

[nadinbrzezinski]

February 4, 2013 (San Diego)-- In a public hearing Friday, Public Utilities Commission Representative Denise Tyrrell listened to the concerns of over 500 San Diego citizens regarding three proposed peaker gas-fired power plants, including the Cogentrix and San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) plan to develop Quail Brush,near Mission Trails Regional Park. Other proposed plants were Pio Pico in the Otay area and the Wellhead Escondido Energy Center.

Hundreds of citizens wearing bright shirts formed a sea of orange, many rising to speak and urge denial of the Quail Brush application. Blue-shirted members of the Environmental Health Coalition turned out in opposition to all three projects. Residents and other groups from across the county also came to oppose the projects, which collectively drew just a single voice in support.

Pete Hasapopoulus of the Sierra Club asked why San Diego Gas and Electric and Cogentrix, the Applicant, were not present? Former Assemblywoman Lori Saldana suggested that perhaps pressures behind the scenes could explain the absence of SDG&E and Cogentrix. “This is like a game of polo. This is what we see above the water,” she told the CPUC representative, suggesting that what under the water line, the pushing and shoving, is outside of the public’s view.

http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/node/12380

This is part of the ongoing policy discussion on Energy and the conflict between green energy and fossil fuels. It is also about politics and the abuse by utilities to get their way, never mind in this case the opposition is not just local and county wide, but with emails sent to the CPUC state wide.

So this is my local utility. In general utilities nation wide act this way because they rarely are told no. Though that is starting to happen a tad more often.