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Diane Conklin
Mussey Grade Road Alliance
P.O. Box 683
Ramona, CA 92065
Telephone: (760) 787-0794
Facsimile: (760) 788- 5479
Email: dj0conklin@earthlink.net
See below for the statement made by Ms. Conklin at the All-Party meeting.
Statement by Ms. Diane Conklin, representing the Mussey Grade Road Alliance, at
the All-Party Meeting, November 13, 2008
Thank you Commissioner Grueneich for this opportunity to give you our ideas
and suggestions regarding Section 19. While the Alliance has concentrated on fire and
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community issues in our testimony and briefs, we have also been very concerned about
the issues of renewables in connection with the SPL line.
The Alliance recommends that all of the energy on the proposed line should be
renewable energy. The Alliance recommends that “substantial” be interpreted to mean
all transmitted energy. Given SDG&E’s own interest in promoting the line as a line for
renewables, we are surprised if the company has any objections to this requirement. But
the reason I bring this up is that the Alliance has been worried from the beginning that
this line is not for renewables but for gas-generated electricity generated in Mexico.
The Alliance brought this issue to the Commission, in fact, in its initial protest
against this project. We said then we were worried that SDG&E would tell the
Commission the line is for renewables but would actually transmit Mexican-generated
power fueled from its LNG supply at its Baja LNG facility.
The Alliance is even more concerned about the gas generated electricity option
after the release of the September CEC report emitted “Current Status, Plans and
Constraints Related to Expansion of Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants, Pipelines and Bulk
Electric Transmission in the California/Mexico Border Region.” That report talks about
the importing of electricity from Mexico and mentions SPL as part of these future plans.
There is also the issue of back-up generation when renewables may not be
available. Donald Felsinger, the CEO of Sempra, has stated publicly that gas generation
is needed when or if the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow. If the energy on this
line was conditioned to be renewable energy, we could need to be reassured that the
temporary infeasibility of renewables production due to weather conditions not become
an excuse for other kinds of energy generated from non-renewables. We have been
reminded by CAISO, and today by Dan Skopec of SDG&E, that one cannot guarantee
which electrons flow over a line – an assumption that works only when there is no
Compliance Plan.
As I understand it, SDG&E has the least percentage of renewables of any of the
IOUs in California. Another point I would like to bring up is that, presently, San Diego
County is not growing population, but losing population. Water is becoming more of a
concern, as the Commission knows, and growth is connected to water.
While today we are talking about Section 19, I think it is important to remember
that the Proposed Decision found – on the same record – that no line is necessary at this
time. The line is not needed. If the line were to be built in the face of that decision, it
needs to – at the very least and considering the costs to the ratepayers around the state –
benefit those ratepayers and the state of California in meeting the crucial renewables
quotient for our future energy.
I would hope that the Commission will not take the excuses of the company that
they cannot do what they have promised they will do publicly in the selling of this line.
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Respectfully submitted,
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I, Diane Conklin, hereby certify that I have this day served a copy of:
MUSSEY GRADE ROAD ALLIANCE NOTICE OF EX PARTE
COMMUNICATION on all known parties with an e-mail address on the service list in
proceeding A.06-08-010, by electronic mail. I also caused a copy to be filed
electronically with the California Public Utilities Commission.
Parties
ARNOLD B. PODGORSKY MICHAEL J. THOMPSON
WRIGHT & TALISMAN, P.C. ATTORNEY AT LAW
1200 G STREET, N.W., SUITE 600 WRIGHT & TALISMAN, PC
WASHINGTON, DC 20005 1200 G STREET, N.W., STE 600
FOR: THE NEVADA HYDRO COMPANY WASHINGTON, DC 20005
FOR: THE NEVADA HYDRO COMPANY
KEVIN LYNCH
IBERDROLA RENEWABLES INC
1125 NW COUCH ST., SUITE 700
PORTLAND, OR 97209
Information Only
ELIZABETH KLEIN JANICE SCHNEIDER
LATHAM & WATKINS, LLP LATHAM & WATKINS, LLP
555 11TH STREET NW, STE. 1000 555 11TH STREET NW, STE 1000
WASHINGTON, DC 20004 WASHINGTON, DC 20004
FOR: SAN DIEGO GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY SAN DIEGO, CA 92101-3375
FOR: SAN DIEGO GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY
State Service
MARCUS NIXON BILLIE C. BLANCHARD
CALIF PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION CALIF PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
PUBLIC ADVISOR OFFICE ENERGY DIVISION
320 WEST 4TH STREET SUITE 500 AREA 4-A
LOS ANGELES, CA 90013 505 VAN NESS AVENUE
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102-3214
TOM MURPHY
VP., SACRAMENTO OPERATIONS
ASPEN ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP
8801 FOLSOM BLVD., SUITE 290
SACRAMENTO, CA 95826