Temecula-area tourism groups weigh in against proposed SDG&E power line project – San Diego Union-Tribune

The Temecula-area visitors bureau and another tourism group are opposing an above-ground power line project that would run through part of the Temecula area.

Visit Temecula Valley — the region’s tourism bureau, and the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association issued a joint news release this week opposing the proposed route of San Diego Gas & Electric’s (SDG&E) project — listing irreversible damage to regional tourism, the threat to agricultural preservation and public safety as reasons for opposition.

The Golden Pacific Powerlink Project, proposed by SDG&E, would be 140 miles of 500-kilovolt high voltage transmission lines and tower structures that would run near Highway 79, Temecula Parkway, Temecula Creek and the Santa Margarita River.

“Temecula Valley’s economy thrives on its reputation as a premier, scenic destination for wine tourism, outdoor recreation, and resort experiences,” Visit Temecula Valley’s Board chair, Chris Baily, said in the release. “Replacing our majestic landscapes with massive industrial towers compromises the very aesthetic that supports thousands of hospitality jobs and local small businesses.”

“Furthermore, bringing high-voltage lines through wildfire-prone wine country presents a significant safety hazard to our residents, visitors, and historic agricultural lands,” Baily added.

The visitor groups were also concerned that the line is designed for regional transmission to other utility territories, and they thought Temecula — which is not serviced by SDG&E —  was being asked to bear “severe environmental and economic liabilities without receiving any direct local benefit.”

“Temecula Valley Wine Country is not only an economic engine for our region, but also a protected agricultural destination that families, visitors, and businesses have invested decades into building,” Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association Board President Mike Rennie said in the release.

Temecula Mayor Jessica Alexander commented on a Facebook post the city put out to inform the public more on the project. Alexander said she talked to city officials about the project and that the Temecula City Council will discuss it as well.

Temecula City Councilmember Brenden Kalfus also commented on the post that he’s “against this project coming through Temecula and I will be more vocal about it in the near future.”

The proposal of the overhead power lines would connect SDG&E’s Imperial Valley substation to a still-to-be-constructed substation where San Diego and Orange counties meet. The exact location, just north of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station and Camp Pendleton, has not yet been released. Horizon West Transmission LLC would build the substation.

The price tag has not been released, but is expected before SDG&E formally files the project with the California Public Utilities Commission later this year.

SDG&E recently released a map showing a preliminary route for the Golden Pacific Powerlink. The utility proposes a route that runs north from the Imperial Valley substation, moving laterally through a chunk of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, heading into Riverside County near Temecula and then ending outside Camp Pendleton.

The Golden Pacific Powerlink is expected to use towers 150 to 200 feet tall to carry the power lines.

SDG&E has said the proposed power line would help reduce congestion on the state’s power grid while improving reliability as the state works to increase overall electrical capacity.

A Change.Org petition against the project was started by Cristina Bracamonte and had 4,504 signatures as of Friday, May 22.

“Living in the beautiful community of Temecula, my family and I have grown to cherish the unique charm and tranquility this area provides,” Bracamonte wrote in the petition. “However, there is a looming threat that could drastically alter the landscape, our community’s safety, and overall quality of life: the SDG&E proposal to construct electric towers through Temecula Creek along the Temecula Parkway corridor.”

A desert conservation group has also come out in opposition to where SDG&E wants the proposed 145-mile corridor to go. Officials at the Anza-Borrego Foundation, based in Borrego Springs, are also against the project.

Visit Temecula Valley and the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association formally called on state regulators, local officials, and SDG&E to evaluate alternative routing options that bypass the delicate tourist corridors and agricultural heart of the Temecula Valley entirely.