Re “Temecula-area tourism groups weigh in against proposed SDG&E power line project” (May 28): Those opposing Golden Pacific Powerlink are right to raise concerns. This 140-mile, 500-kV transmission line project is not a response to a local power shortage; it is a policy-driven proposal advanced through the state transmission-planning process to meet California’s long-range clean-energy goals. The cost was estimated at $2.3 billion in 2023, and ratepayers will ultimately bear that burden.
The concern is not just the developed Temecula Creek area of Riverside County, but the broader impact on untouched, fire-prone landscapes across San Diego County, including communities and open spaces in the Palomar Mountain and Anza-Borrego areas. Clean energy should not mean a 140-mile transmission corridor cutting through sensitive landscapes when less destructive options may exist closer to the load center north of San Onofre.
The California Independent System Operator’s own 2023 planning process included warnings that this project could be difficult to permit and even more expensive than projected. It should cancel the project now.
— Keith Thygerson, San Diego