Stand up for the desert this Saturday!

The desert as we know it is on the threshold of disappearing beneath transmission lines and massive industrial-scale energy projects. Although MBCA supports alternative energy, there are better ways to achieve energy independence than destroying the desert. You will have a rare opportunity to register your opinion on the destruction of the desert for the purpose of lighting up Los Angeles and other urban areas this Saturday, January 10, as detailed in the press release below from California Desert Coalition. Green Path North is only one of the projects threatening our local area. Learn more on the Alliance for Responsible Energy Policy, and keep up on desert Energy news on the MBCA blog Energy thread.

See you Saturday!

Calling all CDC supporters.
Let's show up in force on Saturday at the RETI meeting!!
See details below.

Opponents of LADWP Green Path North to Mobilize at Public Meeting January 10
Desert Citizens to Give Voice to Concerns About the California RETI Process

On Saturday, January 10, opponents of the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP) Green Path North energy transmission project will be out in force to give voice to their concerns about California's Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative (RETI).

RETI is a statewide planning process whose mission is to identify the transmission projects needed to accommodate California's renewable energy goals, and the public meeting will be held in Palm Desert.

The California Desert Coalition (CDC) is providing bus transportation to the RETI meeting in Palm Desert so that citizens in communities that would be affected by Green Path North can have their voices heard. The buses will leave from the Park & Ride in Yucca Valley promptly at 8:30 a.m. on January 10. Bus riders should bring their own lunch; the meeting will break for lunch. Further details are on the CDC website at CaDesertCo.org.

As a show of unity, CDC suggests that its supporters wear red, which has become a signature color for CDC since the July LADWP public meeting in Yucca Valley where hundreds of red-appareled participants voiced their opposition to LADWP's plans for transmission lines and a new energy corridor through the high desert.

The California Desert Coalition was turned down for membership and participation in the RETI process in December of 2007. "As a diverse citizen action group, with members representing a region of the Mojave Desert we were very frustrated by this result," says CDC Chair April Sall. Because desert residents have therefore had no voice in the RETI process, participation at Saturday's meeting is deemed extremely important in stopping the Green Path North transmission lines and new energy corridor.

Sall is particularly concerned because the RETI Phase 1B Report issued in October assumes that the new Green Path North energy corridor is a "done deal." RETI is therefore misrepresenting the state and public processes for such projects, whose required review processes have not even begun. Sall is looking forward to making the same big splash on Saturday that was made back in July at the Yucca Valley High School.

The RETI steering committee, who will conduct Saturday's meeting, is predominantly made up of members from industry, most with a special-interest-driven agenda of maximizing energy development. There are no members representing ratepayers or taxpayers, and only two voting members from the environmental community, neither of which have specific expertise in the California Desert.

According to CDC Vice Chair Ruth Rieman, the RETI process is further flawed as "Its basic premise assumes that we need large-scale renewable projects in remote areas and new transmission to go with them." This premise ignores the potential for energy efficiency, California's mandated first priority, to eliminate dependence on fossil fuel, reduce greenhouse gases, and free up capacity on existing transmission lines. It also ignores the ongoing revolution in photovoltaic solar technology, which makes it possible to cost-competitively produce significant quantities of power right where the power is needed, i.e., within Los Angeles's boundaries and without scraping the desert.

What: RETI Public Meeting
When: Saturday,
January 10, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Where: Palm Desert City Council chambers in the Palm Desert Civic Center, 73-510 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert.
Bus Transportation: Bus leaves promptly at 8:30 a.m. from Yucca Valley Park & Ride (northeast corner of Hwy. 62 & Kickapoo Tr.)

MORE INFO ON THIS TOPIC: At California Desert Coalition and on the Energy page of the MBCA Website. Previous posts on this blog: Energy, Green Path North.

CDC responds to LADWP misinformation on Green Path North

Following is a press release from the California Desert Coalition:

Los Angeles Utility Spreads Misinformation
About Its Green Path North Transmission Project

On December 20, in an open letter to desert communities about the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power's (LADWP's) Green Path North transmission line project, LADWP and its partners provided false and misleading information about the proposed project.

The full-page open letter, published in the Hi-Desert Star, asserted that numerous false claims have been made about the project. Some of the claims derided in the letter are claims made by the California Desert Coalition, and therefore, CDC would like to set the record straight about the
veracity of its claims and also shed light on the actual false and misleading information contained in the open letter advertisement.

LADWP asserts that its transmission project would not require designating a new energy corridor where no energy corridor currently exists. The fact is, the proposed GPN transmission line route through the high desert cannot be approved by the Bureau of Land Management without designating the route an energy corridor. This is a requirement of the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan. A BLM spokesperson has confirmed that this requirement applies to the Green Path North route. The CDCA Plan currently identifies a 2- to 5-mile-wide "contingent corridor" along the GPN route. Contingent corridors become designated by amending the CDCA Plan. CDC is fighting ardently to ensure this is not the future for our conservation lands, such as the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve (BMCP), our scenic vistas that provide the framework for Joshua Tree National Park, and our rural desert communities. (NOTE: The "contingent corridor" referred to is a relic of early 1980s planning, before much of BMCP was recognized as an area of critical environmental concern and before another private preserve along the route was established.)

LADWP, the Southern California Public Power Authority, and the other letter signatories say they are committed to selecting and designing a path that will have the least impact on local residents and the environment. However, Southern California Edison (SCE) recently announced that LADWP has flatly rejected SCE's offer of capacity on its power lines along the I-10 energy corridor. LADWP has clearly not listened to the voices of local residents or their county supervisors, who have implored the agency to use this already existing energy corridor for GPN transmission.

In rejecting SCE's offer, LADWP has exhibited the same arrogance, disregard for its ratepayers, and failure to participate in California state transmission planning recognized by the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) in its report to the California Energy Commission. This
report states, "The ISO's efforts with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) were also extensive and frustrating. The Department has a lot to gain from being part of the larger State grid as a way to minimize the need for new transmission, increase their access to renewable generation at lower cost to their ratepayers, and reduce their C02 footprint."

In its statements about undergrounding sections of the GPN line, LADWP ignores the evidence, confirmed by an SCE undergrounding specialist, that undergrounding power lines is even more environmentally destructive than overhead transmission. Thus LADWP has not addressed a key objection to the power line route: the project's immediate and long-term detrimental impacts on environmentally sensitive lands. Both San Bernardino and Riverside County supervisors have stated in their resolutions opposing GPN that these adverse impacts can be avoided by LADWP using available existing energy corridors.

While property owners may individually assume LADWP's claim to consider undergrounding sections of the line means their section of the line, when you consider that GPN would cross 30 miles of private land, it becomes apparent that this is a false hope. Add to this miles of viewshed on public lands and the vistas along desert highways that tourists so admire, and it becomes clear that a limited amount of undergrounding could have little effect on the overall impact of GPN.

At LADWP's July public meeting in Yucca Valley, David Nahai claimed that his agency is not "diabolically plotting" to destroy desert lands and communities. When the agency uses its deep pockets and advertising budget to spread fallacies and misinformation about the Green Path North Project, CDC asks, where is the dialogue and transparency that was promised to desert residents?

MORE INFO ON THIS TOPIC: At California Desert Coalition and on the Energy page of the MBCA Website. Previous posts on this blog: Energy, Green Path North.

Green Path North opposition gaining steam

On the Green Path North front, the California Desert Coalition has been joined by a new ally: the just-formed Coachella Valley Coalition based in Desert Hot Springs.

And in other GPN news, Southern California Edison has made an offer that "bolsters the position of Green Path opponents," according to the Press-Enterprise.

Southern California Edison is offering an alternative to the Green Path North power line project that Los Angeles wants to build across San Bernardino County deserts and foothills.

Edison could add enough capacity on its power lines along Interstate 10 to carry electricity to Los Angeles from geothermal, wind and solar power projects planned in the desert, said Sandi Blain, manager of the transmission project licenses for Edison, an investor-owned utility.

However, officials with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power say they are not interested.

Any agreement with Edison would involve paying to use the power lines and could be suspended or terminated, leaving too much uncertainty for some 5 million Los Angeles-area customers, said David Nahai, DWP general manager.

MORE INFO ON THIS TOPIC: At California Desert Coalition and on the Energy page of the MBCA Website. Previous posts on this blog: Energy, Green Path North.

Take action on Green Path and energy in the desert

Action notice from California Desert Coalition:

Take Action Now
4 Minutes From Now You Can Have Sent Important Letters
to STOP Green Path North

In the next few minutes you can help STOP Green Path North by sending the following new letters directly from our website.

Send a Letter - Effect Renewable Energy Policy in the New Administration -- go to http://www.cadesertco.org/effectrep.php

As part of transition planning for the new administration, President-elect Obama has formed an Energy and Environment Policy Team, who is seeking suggestions on what the new administration should do on this important issue.The new administration is committed to moving forward on renewable energy development, a goal that CDC supports if done in a truly green way. However, with big energy corporations pushing to destroy millions of acres of California Desert, as well as desert communities, with their utility-scale energy projects and unnecessary transmission lines, it is important that our voices be heard. We believe you will find our letter informative. It describes a better way to develop renewable energy while leaving our communities intact and preserving pristine desert for future generations to enjoy.

Send a Letter - Support Proposal to Protect California Desert -- go to http://www.cadesertco.org/supportproposal.php

Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, which is threatened by Green Path North transmission lines and a new energy corridor, is one of the areas included in a proposal initiated by the California Wilderness Coalition. The proposal recommends designating much of this preserve as a wilderness area and further recommends that Big Morongo Canyon Preserve be added to Joshua Tree National Park. These additional protections would make it much more difficult to get approval for an inappropriate Green Path North transmission line and energy corridor through Big Morongo Canyon Preserve. This proposal is supported by the Friends of Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, who see these added protections as a way to ensure necessary protection for the preserve. Other sensitive areas of the California Desert threatened by utility-scale energy projects are also included in the proposal. Please add your voice to the support for this proposal.

Thank you for your continuing support.

CALIFORNIA DESERT COALITION
www.cadesertco.org

MORE INFO ON THIS TOPIC: At California Desert Coalition and on the Energy page of the MBCA Website. Previous posts on this blog: Energy, Green Path North, Morongo Valley.

Renewable energy subject of Executive Order, will impact local area

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed an Executive Order to streamline California's renewable energy project approval process and increase the state's Renewable Energy Standard to 33 percent renewable power by 2020, according to a State press release.

"I am proposing we set the most aggressive target in the nation for renewable energy-33 percent by the year 2020-that's a third of our energy from sources like solar, wind and geothermal," Governor Schwarzenegger said. "But we won't meet that goal doing business as usual, where environmental regulations are holding up environmental progress in some cases. This executive order will clear the red tape for renewable projects and streamline the permitting and siting of new plants and transmission lines. With this investment in renewable energy projects, California has a bright energy future ahead that will help us fight climate change while driving our state's green economy."

[snip]

In addition to the EO announced today, the [California Energy Commission], [Department of Fish and Game], U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a coordinated approach with our federal partners in the expedited permitting process. This coordinated approach will significantly reduce the time and expense for developing renewable energy on federally-owned California land, including the priority Mojave and Colorado Desert regions.

According to a related article in The Desert Sun, Twentynine Palms has been identified as a key area for California's wind and solar development in the newly released draft plan of the Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative.

Imagine a sea of glass lining the 60-mile stretch of Interstate 10 from the edge of Joshua Tree National Park to Blythe.

That's what's being envisioned in a statewide renewable energy plan that identifies sections of Palm Springs, Twentynine Palms and eastern Riverside County as key for California's solar and wind development.

MORE INFO ON THIS TOPIC: On the Energy page of the MBCA Website. Previous posts: Energy.

CDC reports on progress in battle to stop Green Path North

The California Desert Coalition recently held a community meeting in Yucca Valley to report on progress in the fight against Green Path North. For summaries, see articles in the Hi-Desert Star and the Desert Sun.


MORE INFO ON THIS TOPIC: At California Desert Coalition and on the Energy page of the MBCA Website. Previous posts on this blog: Energy, Green Path North.

Community Meeting: Green Path North

Community Meeting: Green Path North Transmission Line Project Update

On Thursday, November 6, at 7:00 p.m., the California Desert Coalition (CDC) will hold a public meeting at the Yucca Valley Community Center to provide updated information on the Green Path North transmission line project proposed by the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP).

CDC Chair April Sall says, “ A lot has happened in the fight to stop the power lines since LADWP held a community workshop meeting in Yucca Valley on July 19. Community participation at that meeting significantly changed the conversation with LADWP going forward.”

Following an introductory video, CDC will discuss the current status of the project and the coalition’s successes to date in its efforts to stop LADWP from establishing its transmission lines through the communities and lands between Desert Hot Springs and Hesperia.

A key topic at the meeting will be the new 2- to 5-mile wide energy corridor that, according to Bureau of Land Management records, would be designated through the high desert in conjunction with the Green Path North Project. All future transmission line projects in the region, as well as all oil, water, and gas line projects, would be built in what would then be this approved corridor. This prospect alarms Ruth Rieman, CDC Vice Chair, who says, “It is unimaginable what even a 2-mile swath of energy projects would do to our desert communities and environmentally sensitive conservation lands.”

“What We Need To Do Next” will be another topic of discussion.

CDC sees the task of fighting an organization as powerful as the LADWP as large in scope and long in duration, but ultimately winnable with the continuing support of the communities and people who would be affected by the proposed transmission lines and new energy corridor.

Following the video and speaker presentation, a CDC panel will answer questions from the audience. Refreshments will be served.

WHO: California Desert Coalition
WHAT: Community Meeting: Green Path North Transmission Line Project Update
WHERE: Yucca Valley Community Center
57090 Twentynine Palms Highway
Yucca Valley, CA 92284
WHEN: Thursday, November 6, 7:00 p.m.


MORE INFO ON THIS TOPIC: At California Desert Coalition and on the Energy page of the MBCA Website. Previous posts on this blog: Energy, Green Path North.

CDC update, meeting Nov. 6

The California Desert Coalition, opponents of Green Path North, have issued the following update and confirmation of their next community meeting on Thursday, November 6, 7 p.m. at the Yucca Valley Community Center:

CDC Supporters,

With election day almost here, a CDC community meeting in the next week, and a video recently released of Los Angeles Radio KPFK interviewing CDC and David Nahai, we urge you to visit our website (cadesertco.org) for further information on these issues and event.

NO on Proposition 7
Proposition 7 would seriously impact CDC's ability to fight Green Path North transmission lines. The proposition is so poorly written that, ironically, both utility companies and environmental groups are opposing it. Proposition 7 would fast track utility-scale energy projects, overlooking the cumulative environmental impact, and would bolster the use of eminent domain, threatening homeowners. Proposition 7 is the wrong way to increase renewable energy in California.

CDC Community Meeting Nov. 6, 7:00 PM
A lot has been happening in the fight to stop Green Path North. The community response at LADWP's July community meeting in Yucca Valley has had a significant impact on LADWP. Join with CDC and its supporters at this public meeting and get the latest news on the continuing battle to protect our homes, our health, and our desert environment.

Video of LA Radio KPFK Interviewing CDC & David Nahai
On September 26, LA Radio KPFK's Sherry Beall interviewed CDC Chair April Sall, CDC Vice Chair Ruth Rieman, and LADWP General Manager David Nahai. CDC made a strong case against Green Path North, with April pointing out that Green Path North would be a 2- to 5-mile-wide energy corridor through the desert. Watch the station's video of the program.

Hope to see you Thursday (Nov. 6) at the community meeting in Yucca Valley.

California Desert Coalition
cadesertco.org

MORE INFO ON THIS TOPIC: At California Desert Coalition and on the Energy page of the MBCA Website. Previous posts on this blog: Energy, Green Path North.

Call the Governor on Sunrise Powerlink

Sunrise Powerlink can be seen as the San Diego Gas & Electric version of the LADWP's Green Path North - only Sunrise Powerlink threatens the wilderness of Anza Borrego Desert State Park instead of the backcountry of the Morongo Basin.

[SDG&E parent company] Sempra wants to run the Sunrise Powerlink through remote bighorn sheep habitat in Anza Borrego Desert State Park, bringing heavy construction equipment in to build towers and right-of-way roads and bringing latrines and noise and diesel exhaust into wilderness. It would be the first time wildland in California is removed from wilderness designation for a private industrial project. [Emphasis added.] It would be devastating to Anza Borrego’s bighorn, whose habitat in California’s part of the Sonoran Desert is already fragmented to hell and back.

The folks opposing Sunrise Powerlink have been leading the way on the fight for a rational energy policy that won't sacrifice rural and wild areas unnecessarily for the convenience of the urban areas. Now you can help by making a call to Gov. Schwarzenegger.

So why call Schwarzenegger today? Because the Final EIR for the Sunrise Powerlink is out, and SDG&E is mobilizing supporters to call the Governor’s office, and because Arnold has some historic campaign funding ties to Sempra that are complex enough to cause Federal Election Commission investigators to scratch their heads, so he may well be leaning in a pro-Sempra direction. The more people like us he hears from, the easier it will be for him to do the right thing.

Learn how to make that call, and more of the story and the power-math of Sunrise Powerlink, on Coyote Crossing. Green Path North may be next in line.


MORE INFO ON THIS TOPIC: At California Desert Coalition and on the Energy page of the MBCA Website. Previous posts on this blog: Energy, Green Path North.

Update on California Desert Coalition

The following announcement is from the California Desert Coalition, an organization fighting "to save our desert from the invasion of LADWP's Green Path North transmission lines."

MBCA is a proud supporter of CDC and its efforts to defend our desert ecosystems from devastation.

CDC Supporters,

I would like to extend my personal thank you to each and every one of you for your ongoing and essential support in our fight to save our desert from the invasion of LADWP's Green Path North transmission lines. Our efforts have caused politicians and the media, as well as Los Angeles Department of Water & Power officials, to take notice. I also want to tell you about two important upcoming events.

This Friday (September 26) at 2:00 p.m., the Healthy Planet, Healthy Me! show on Los Angeles radio station KPFK FM will be discussing the Green Path North Project and how it really isn't green at all. I and CDC Vice Chair Ruth Rieman will be interviewed on the program, and you can call in with your questions. Tune in to 90.7 FM or listen online at www.sherrybeall.com (click the Live tab at the top, then click the microphone icon).

On November 6, CDC will hold its next public meeting to share with you the status of the Green Path North Project and how your donations have helped us broaden the base of support against it. Please hold open the evening of Thursday, November 6, for this event. More details will be sent to you in late October.

Finally, I want you to know that a new partnership begins for CDC on October 1 as we separate from The Mojave Desert Land Trust and join The SummerTree Institute as our nonprofit umbrella organization. Be assured that your donations will follow the CDC and continue to receive tax deductible benefits.

Robin Kobaly, Executive Director of The SummerTree Institute (and Morongo Valley native), welcomes CDC with the following message:

"The SummerTree Institute is extremely pleased to provide a supportive platform for the CDC to continue its impressive campaign.

We support their dedicated and highly professional efforts to inform individuals, officials, local governments, organizations, and agencies about the potential negative impacts of GPN as proposed. We also commend the CDC's efforts to empower all involved entities at their respective levels to take appropriate actions to ensure that this project does not damage our most treasured desert resources.

Under this new relationship, the CDC will be able to continue their campaign without any interruption in momentum. We are very proud to welcome the CDC to SummerTree."

I know that in SummerTree we have found a strong and supportive parent organization that shares our concerns and will provide resources and energy for the challenges ahead in fighting LADWP. Again, thanks for your ongoing support. I hope to see you on November 6.

April Sall
Chair, California Desert Coalition
www.cadesertco.org

MORE INFO ON THIS TOPIC: At California Desert Coalition and on the Energy page of the MBCA Website. Previous posts on this blog: Energy, Green Path North.

Energy corridor 2-5 miles wide?

From the California Desert Coalition:

Do you know the answer to the following question? A clue -- the answer is real scary!

How wide a path is Green Path North -- 330 feet? 3,500 feet? 2 to 5 miles?

CDC has learned from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) that approval of Green Path North transmission lines along LADWP's preferred route would necessarily entail an amendment to the California Desert Conservation Area Plan. This amendment would designate a new 2- to 5-mile-wide energy corridor through the high desert; all future transmission line projects in the region, as well as all oil, water, and gas line projects would be built in what would then be this approved corridor.

So, while the LADWP right-of-way (ROW) application requests a 330-ft ROW, and LADWP's request for a new energy corridor through the West-Wide Energy Corridor process relates to a 3,500-ft-wide energy corridor, the bottom line is if we don't stop Green Path North our communities and desert will be designated as the place for an energy corridor 2 to 5 miles wide.

To visualize what this new energy corridor would look like and for further information, please go to our website at www.cadesertco.org.

MORE INFO ON THIS TOPIC: At California Desert Coalition and on the Energy page of the MBCA Website. Previous posts on this blog: Energy, Green Path North.

"Big Energy" updates: Green Path and solar PEIS

In the wake of last month's LADWP Green Path North meeting in Yucca Valley, the California Desert Coalition disputes LADWP General Manager David Nahai's soothing claims in a post-meeting analysis on its site:

Not to impugn Nahai's sincerity, but the 3-year-long history of GPN indicates a project far along in LADWP's planning process. LADWP has spent nearly $26 million to date on the project and has already completed feasibility studies on 5 routes. Nahai says he has made a difference since he became general manager, pointing to the removal of survey markers, but does not mention that he was on the LADWP Board of Commissioners during the full 3-year GPN planning process.

Most disturbing is Mr. Nahai's continuing contention that LADWP does not have a preferred route for GPN. Even subsequent to the Yucca Valley meeting, the Imperial Irrigation District, LADWP's partner in GPN, displays the one route and only one route that, according to public records, LADWP has worked to establish since July 2006. This is the environmentally destructive route through the high desert and its communities.

Read the rest here.

Following up on Big Solar, the Bureau of Land Management has posted on-line the public comments received during the scoping period of the Solar Energy Development Programmatic Environmental Impact Study (PEIS), viewable from here. MBCA's comments are also on view on our Website.


MORE INFO ON THIS TOPIC: At California Desert Coalition and on the Energy page of the MBCA Website. Previous posts on this blog: Energy, Green Path North.

Motion to join granted on Power Corridor lawsuit

The Federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has granted a motion to intervene on behalf of each of several organizations, including the Morongo Basin Conservation Association, in a suit against the 2005 Energy Act and the designation of 7 Southern California counties as a Power Corridor without regard to environmental resources or alternatives.

Additionally, these complainants have been accorded the right to participate in all the pending appeals challenging the Department of Energy Corridors--both in the Southwest and in the Mid-Atlantic states.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs have received DOE's administrative record index and are starting work on reviewing the record and preparing opening briefs on appeal.

The successful designation of Southern California as a Power Corridor under the 2005 Energy Act would impact the ability of Morongo Basin residents to fight the Green Path North transmission corridor project.

Read more about this important lawsuit on this previous post.


MORE INFO ON THIS TOPIC: At California Desert Coalition and on the Energy page of the MBCA Website. Previous posts on this blog: Energy, Green Path North.

CDC needs support to stop Green Path North

California Desert Coalition has announced that Riverside County has joined San Bernardino County in issuing a resolution opposing Green Path North. View the resolution and other news on CDC's Website here.

CDC has also issued a statement following the July 19 meeting with LADWP in Yucca Valley:

Thank you to all who attended the meeting and to all of you who have supported our grassroots effort in so many ways. It is thanks to you that we have made significant progress in this ongoing battle. Your volunteer efforts and donations have enabled CDC to educate and engage individuals, communities, environmental organizations, and regional, state, and federal legislators to support the CDC mission.

Your support makes our outreach possible and your donations pay for brochures and other print materials, the CDC website, and merchandising opportunities, such as our CDC T-shirts. Looking to the future, in addition to these continuing expenses, substantial funds are needed to support expenditures for legal counsel and professional consulting services. Challenging the forces that want to continue business as usual will not come cheap. Whatever you can contribute will be very helpful. Donation details are at www.cadesertco.org/donate.html.

MORE INFO ON THIS TOPIC: At California Desert Coalition and on the Energy page of the MBCA Website. Previous posts on this blog: Energy, Green Path North.

Supervisor Derry ready to fight over Green Path North

According to The Sun, incoming 3rd District Supervisor Neil Derry says he is "ready to go toe-to-toe with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power on behalf of the voters who elected him."

Derry said he is tracking the [Green Path North] project to make sure no environmental laws or energy regulations are broken.

[snip]

Derry said he also practices what he preaches. His house in San Bernardino is outfitted with 40 solar panels. "If David Nahai wants to learn how to run an energy-efficient house," Derry said, "I'll be happy to show him. I'd be happy to show him mine."

MORE INFO ON THIS TOPIC: At California Desert Coalition and on the Energy page of the MBCA Website. Previous posts on this blog: Energy, Green Path North.

Press accounts of LADWP/Green Path meeting

Press accounts of the Yucca Valley meeting on July 19 of Los Angeles Department and Water and Power on Green Path North are in agreement: It was a little tense.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power ended years of silence on some of the details surrounding a proposed path of power lines Saturday at a public meeting with High Desert residents that quickly turned hostile.

[snip]

In recent years, the agency has earned a reputation for not disclosing information to the media or public, a reputation [general manager David] Nahai is attempting to redeem.

Still, Mike Cipra, a program manager with the National Parks Conservation Area, scolded the LADWP for not responding to a letter he sent the agency with concerns about the proposed path's impact on Joshua Tree National Park. "Since I never heard back, I have to assume you didn't read it," he said.

Carrie Hyke, a San Bernardino County planner, read a strongly worded statement reminding the LADWP that the Board of Supervisors is opposed to a project that cuts through environmentally sensitive habitat.

In addition to Los Angeles, Burbank, Glendale, Azusa and Banning plan to use energy from the project, said Bill Carnahan, executive director of the Southern California Public Power Authority. - The Sun

The Press-Enterprise also has informative coverage of the boisterous meeting, as does the local Hi-Desert Star, which includes a number of quotes:

“Electricity seeks the path of least resistance,” said crowd-pleasing speaker Scott McKone. “These routes are the path of most resistance — the people’s resistance!”

And, as noted previously, LADWP General Manager David Nahai was visibly ruffled by the crowd's displeasure:

As more speakers described the LADWP and by extension Nahai as untrustworthy and disingenuous, Nahai appeared to be losing his earlier cool. “I didn’t have to come here today,” he said, prompting a chorus of sarcastic groans. “I came for constructive comments.”

Finally, the editorial in Saturday's Star sums up the battle ahead:

As this infant project begins to grow, we ask the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the Morongo Basin to remember that no world, no matter how small, should fall silently before another. No sacrifice should ever be taken for granted.

MORE INFO ON THIS TOPIC: At California Desert Coalition and on the Energy page of the MBCA Website. Previous posts on this blog: Energy, Green Path North.

Basin residents show up in strength to question LADWP on Green Path North

The Yucca Valley High School gym was packed this morning as residents of all stripes, ages, and persuasions and from as far south as Desert Hot Springs and as far north as Lucerne Valley met Los Angeles Department of Water and Power with an impressive display of community strength and determination not to be the victims of the Green Path North transmission project.

LADWP General Manager David Nahai attended personally but seemed unprepared for the aggressive questioning and frank lack of trust exhibited by the audience. He was visibly ruffled by his reception, and when asked what benefits Green Path North would bring to the Morongo Basin, he could not answer.

More details soon.


MORE INFO ON THIS TOPIC: At California Desert Coalition and on the Energy page of the MBCA Website. Previous posts on this blog: Energy, Green Path North.

LADWP in Yucca Valley for Green Path meeting this Saturday

MBCA urges you to attend this critical meeting with L.A. Power Officials on Saturday! Per California Desert Coaltion news release:

Desert Residents to Meet, Learn and Express Their Concerns to Los Angeles Power Officials

On Saturday morning, July 19, local residents will have their first opportunity to meet with the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP) to discuss the utility's proposed 500kV transmission line project through high desert communities. The meeting will be held in Yucca Valley at the high school, 10 a.m. to noon.

The California Desert Coalition (CDC), a group formed specifically to oppose the transmission line route through the high desert, has planned a "Stop the Towers" poster contest before the meeting, referring to the massive metal transmission towers that would be constructed. CDC Vice Chair Ruth Rieman says that "A strong showing of community residents at this LADWP public meeting will be the tipping point in getting LADWP to choose a more appropriate route than the one through our communities and desert."

From 9 to 10 a.m., everyone is invited to enjoy refreshments and participate in the poster contest. Prizes will be awarded for the top three most creative protest signs brought to the event. Prizes are $300 for first place, $200 for second place, and $100 for third place. Judging of the protest signs will be at 9:15 a.m.

April Sall, CDC Chair, says there has been a lack of transparency on the part of the Los Angeles public utility in its planning for the transmission lines. She wonders why it has taken so long for LADWP to hold public meetings, which have been promised for over a year. Sall sees a clear analogy between LADWP's actions on this project and its previous actions in its taking of water from the Owens Valley.

CDC suggests that LADWP has better alternatives for increasing its renewable energy supply (the stated purpose for the project) than a new transmission line through rural high desert communities and pristine desert lands. Use of the existing I-10 transmission corridor is one of these options.

LADWP has requested a new federal energy corridor and route for high transmission power lines along an 85-mile-long route that begins in Desert Hot Springs and passes through Morongo Valley, Yucca Valley, Pioneertown, Flamingo Heights, Landers, Johnson Valley, Lucerne Valley, and Apple Valley, terminating in Hesperia. The project is called Green Path North (GPN).

According to Bureau of Land Management records, if approved, the energy corridor would be between 2 and 5 miles wide on public lands managed by the agency, and once designated would be open to oil and water pipelines, as well as electrical transmission. One difficulty is that private property is interspersed with public lands and makes up 30 miles of the proposed route. According to CDC spokesperson Dave Miller, LADWP would have to "connect the dots" of publicly owned land with unnecessary condemnation of more than 1000 private properties through eminent domain powers allowed by the 2005 federal Energy Policy Act.

Resolutions in opposition to the power line route have been passed by cities and community organizations all along the route, as well as by the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors. Exclusion of the public from the planning process and the lack of clear benefits to the county as a whole have left local residents feeling the project is not being fairly pursued. Most commonly mentioned concerns are the taking of properties by eminent domain; devaluation of properties; health risks, especially to children, from EMF; damage to the local tourist-dependent economy (associated with neighboring Joshua Tree National Park); scarring of scenic vistas; and environmental devastation to desert wildlands.

Meeting Location: Yucca Valley High School, 7600 Sage Avenue, Yucca Valley (Google Map Link)

MORE INFO ON THIS TOPIC: At California Desert Coalition and on the Energy page of the MBCA Website. Previous posts on this blog: Energy, Green Path North.

Greenpath: LADWP in Yucca Valley July 19!

California Desert Coalition has announced that Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the proponents of the Greenpath North transmission project through our desert, will hold a meeting with the public on July 19 in Yucca Valley. Mark your calendar, and stay tuned for exact time and location.

CDC urges residents to attend: "We believe that 1000 of our voices can make a difference, if we all show up and send a clear message that Green Path North is a major concern of ours. Staying home or going out of town will require a death or dying excuse. Well, maybe that's a bit over the top but you all get the point. This is really really important!!!!"

CDC has also recently added to their Website a photo tour of the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), with an explanation of how the Greenpath North project would impact the ACEC. Take the tour here.


MORE INFO ON THIS TOPIC: At California Desert Coalition and on the Energy page of the MBCA Website. Previous posts on this blog: Energy, Green Path North.

Energy appetites big for a shrinking Mojave

For an excellent overview of the way the dangerous new desert land rush is being driven by the energy desires of Los Angeles and Gov. Schwarzenegger and the profit motives of international cororate interests, while desert-lovers are being blamed, see the June 9 High Country News:

[S]ome California leaders...suggest that only conservationists now stand in the way of renewable energy. In an April 18 speech at Yale University’s Climate Change Conference, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced that "the Germans, the French, the Canadians, the Japanese, they all want to come out to California and put solar power plants in the Mojave desert and in other places. The only thing is that the problem is getting that new energy to the power grid because of environmental hurdles."

For the more local angle read the June 2 article in The Press-Enterprise, here quoting 1st District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt:

"At a time when the desert has become smaller because of urban growth, set-asides for (endangered species) habitat and wilderness, and expansion of military bases, we cannot surrender huge areas of public land without a serious discussion about which resources we can sacrifice and which need to be protected."

And, finally, Basin resident April Sall gives us a desert perspective on the right way and the wrong way of renewable energy development in The Greenwash in the June 2008 Desert Report:

As in the California Gold Rush of 1849, The Mojave Desert is under assault today. State mandates to reduce green house gases (GHG) and increase renewable energy portfolios have created a feeding frenzy, where energy developers are rapidly and chaotically submitting applications for renewable energy exploration and development. The targets of these applications are focused on almost free federal lands – some Right of Ways (ROW) are being leased for the bargain price about $14/linear mile. While desert residents are supportive of renewable energy development, they also want to insure that the energy strategy ultimately implemented includes all the factors involved in meeting our state mandates and energy needs.

Thanks to California Desert Coalition for the links.

MORE INFO ON THIS TOPIC: At California Desert Coalition and on the Energy page of the MBCA Website. Previous blog posts: Energy, Green Path North.