Pio Pico

COMMUNITY SAYS NO TO $1.6-BILLION PIO PICO POWER PLANT

 

Rally at Environmental Protection Agency hearing shows no need for SDG&E’s dirty power plant

January 8, 2014 (Otay)--On December 17, local community organizations and residents from around the county rallied to ask the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deny a permit for SDG&E’s proposed fossil fuel power plant, Pio Pico, in San Diego. The hearing ironically falls on the 50th anniversary of the Clean Air Act, a federal law requiring the EPA to develop and enforce regulations that protect citizens from breathing hazardous and harmful air.


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INSIGHTS AND REACTIONS TO CPUC DECISION ON POWER PLANTS

 

Approval of Escondido power plant restart triggers local generation charge to ratepayers

Story and photos by Nadin Abbott

March 21, 2013 (San Diego)—East County residents savored victory following the California Public Utilities Commission’s unanimous rejection today of Quail Brush, a gas-fired power plant proposed near Mission Trails. Commissioners also rejected the Pio Pico plant in Otay Mesa, but approved refiring an Escondido power plant.

But according to Lane Sharman, co-founder with Bill Powers of the San Diego Energy District Foundation, a grassroots group trying to get community based utilities, this vote did something else. It added one more tax to your utility bill. Not only are rate payers to pay for energy distribution and transmission distribution, but now  a local generation charge as well. Effectively, ratepayers will be subsidizing utilities, according to Sharman.


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BREAKING NEWS: CPUC REJECTS QUAIL BRUSH AND PIO PICO

Commission allows repowering of Escondido plant

“Today’s rejection of Quail Brush is not only a victory for the environment. It’s a victory for our community. It sends a message that San Diego County shouldn’t rely on old-school, power plant technology and that we can accelerate our efforts to develop renewable, cleaner forms of energy, like rooftop solar and fuel cells.”—Supervisor Dianne Jacob

March 21, 2013 (San Diego) – Before a packed audience in San Diego today, the California Public Utilities Commission unanimously denied SDG&E’s requests to build Quail Brush and Pio Pico, gas-powered peaker plants near Mission Trails Regional Park and in Otay Mesa.  The Commission did, however, authorize repowering of an existing but idle gas plant in Escondido.


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JUDGE REFUSES TO HALT CLOSED-DOOR CPUC MEETING IN SAN DIEGO; PLAINTIFF FILES APPEAL

 

Public meeting and vote set for March 21 on 3 local power plants, though judge denies public entry to March 20 with energy industry representatives and state regulators

By Miriam Raftery

March 18, 2013 (San Diego)— Superior Court Judge  Timothy Taylor today denied an injunction sought by Masada Disenhouse, who had asked the court to halt the California Public Utilities Commission from holding a closed-door, invitation-only meeting with energy industry stakeholders at the Scripps Seaside Forum in San Diego on Wednesday, March 20.


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

SUIT FILED TO STOP CLOSED-DOOR PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION MEETING WITH ENERGY COMPANIES IN SAN DIEGO

 

By Miriam Raftery

March 13, 2013 (San Diego)—The law firm of former City Attorney Mike Aguirre has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Masada Disenhouse seeking an injunction to halt the California Public Utilities Commission from holding a closed-door , invitation-only meeting with energy industry stakeholders at the Scripps Seaside Forum in San Diego on March 20. Disenhouse asked to attend, but her name was removed from the list. 

“California Government Code section 11123 requires that all meetings of a state body shall be open and public, and  all persons shall be permitted to attend any meeting of a state body,” the lawsuit states.  The suit further notes that Government Code section 11120  requires that “proceedings of public agencies be conducted openly so that the people may be informed.”


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

QUAIL BRUSH HEARING MOVED TO SAN DIEGO MARCH 21: ENVIRONMENTAL LEADER ACCUSES CPUC CHAIR OF ILLEGAL ACTION, CALLS FOR PEEVEY’S RECUSAL FROM VOTE

 

By Miriam Raftery

March 4, 2013 (San Diego) – The California Public Utilities Commission has announced that it has moved a hearing on the Quail Brush power plant from San Francisco to San Diego .  The hearing, at which a vote is expected, is set for March 21 at the Conference Center Hearing Room, 5520 Overland Ave., San Diego 92123 Click for Map. 

The announcement comes after five postponements of the hearing, amid allegations that CPUC's Chairman violated state open meetings law to exert undue influence; project opponents are calling for his recusal from the vote.

The California Energy Commission, meanwhile, has cancelled a public workshop set for March 3 at Grossmont College. 

Quail Brush, a gas-fired power plant proposed near Mission Trails Regional Park, has generated strong community opposition. Save Mission Trails, an activist group battling the project, has announced it plans to stage a rally at 8 a.m. prior to the 9 a.m. hearing.


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