Hundreds pack Temecula council against SDG&E's 500-kilovolt line through wine country

CBS Los Angeles: Hundreds of Temecula residents packed Tuesday night's city council meeting to fight back against San Diego Gas & Electric's Golden Pacific Powerlink, a 150-mile, 500-kilovolt transmission system that would run from the Imperial Valley Substation through Anza-Borrego, past Palomar Mountain, and into Temecula on its way to Camp Pendleton. Towers along the route would stand more than 100 feet tall. SDG&E says the project is essential for connecting Imperial Valley's solar and geothermal generation to the state grid, and that the need was identified by the California Independent System Operator.

The wildfire history did most of the work in the room. Southern California Edison equipment was tied to the 2017 and 2018 Thomas and Woolsey fires, the 2022 Fairview Fire in Hemet that killed two people and destroyed nearly 40 homes, and last year's Eaton Fire that killed 18. Residents pointed to the proposed line's path near thousands of homes, through Temecula Creek, and across the Santa Margarita River. The Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association and Visit Temecula Valley both came out against the route. "Placing massive transmission infrastructure through the heart of wine country threatens the rural character, scenic beauty, and long-term sustainability that make this region so special," said association board president Mike Rennie.

Mayor Pro Tem Matt Rahn used the meeting to confront SDG&E representative Erica Martin over what he called a transparency problem — Rahn said SDG&E's earlier presentations to the city showed maps of every area except Temecula, and that the same pattern played out in meetings with San Diego County tribes. Martin attributed the gap to a PowerPoint display issue. The next step is a series of virtual open houses this summer, followed by a CPUC filing. If approved, construction would begin in 2029 and service in 2032 — meaning the fight Temecula opened Tuesday will run for years.