Month: December 2012

CPUC Decision Postponed to January 10 – Have you sent your letter yet?

The California Public Utitlies Commission (CPUC) vote on the SDG&E application for Quail Brush and two other gas plants in San Diego County has been rescheduled to January 10. This gives us time to get more Letters to the CPUC supporting their proposed decision rejecting these fossil fuel plants as not needed!

Have you emailed the CPUC? The more people who voice support of the CPUC draft decision, the better. You can count on Cogentrix and the other corporate lobbyists to be pushing for their profits. The Sierra Club will forward your voice! OR should you prefer to speak via Save Mission Trails, here is our letter and instructions.

Additionally, we are pleased to report that newly-elected State Senator Marty Block and San Diego Councilmember Scott Sherman have written letters to the CPUC in support of the draft ruling, which rejects the SDG&E power purchase agreement for these plants. Click to read Sherman’s letter.

Thank you all, for caring about the future of San Diego and our lovely Mission Trails Regional Park!

Send Your Email to Public Utilities Commission to Reject Quail Brush!

First, a big “THANK YOU” to those of you who have already emailed the CPUC.

Now, for those that still need to do so, please email the CPUC today! It’s the most important thing you can do right now to stop the proposed Quail Brush power plant adjacent to Mission Trails Park and West Santee.

The CA Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) made a draft ruling on 11/20/12 that the CoGentrix Quail Brush power plant is not needed. If this ruling stands — and the hearing will be soon — it will put another nail (a BIG NAIL) in the coffin of this ill-conceived project.
YOU can support the CPUC’s proposed decision. Easy steps:

1) Email the CPUC.
SEND TO:  public.advisor@cpuc.ca.gov  (Copy and paste in your email address line.)
Copy and paste in your SUBJECT LINE: Uphold ALJ Decision to reject SDG&E A1105023
Copy and paste the letter below into your email text. Be sure to INCLUDE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, CITY, ZIP at the bottom of the email in order to be counted.

2) GOOD IDEA: Add a cc: to docket@energy.ca.gov so your letter goes to the California Energy Commission, too.

3) Email Governor Jerry Brown. To send a message to the governor you must do so at http://gov.ca.gov/m_contact.php Enter your name and email, click public utilities commission (or energy) for subject, then continue. There will be a space for you to copy and paste the pre-written letter. It takes only a moment; we believe he can be influential.

4) For your ease, If you are averse to “copy and paste,” please send your email via the Sierra Club action alert. (You do not need to do both.) NOTE: Sierra Club will repair this link shortly. TRY BACK IN 24 HOURS.

5) Then forward this message to friends & relatives and ask them to email the CPUC too!

SAMPLE LETTER to the CPUC

Please support Administrative Law Judge Yacknin’s 11/20/2012 decision rejecting SDG&E’s application 1105023 for the Quail Brush, Pio Pico, and Escondido gas plants. These fossil fuel plants use inefficient polluting technology for unneeded power and do not move California toward the achievement of its sustainable clean energy goals.

Energy conservation is working. Southern California peak energy demand is static, contrary to claims by SDG&E and Cogentrix, which together seek to build a redundant plant for their own financial gain. I object to SDG&E profiting from selling the gas and the electricity, while we citizens pay for the significant and unnecessary costs of these fossil fuel plants by suffering the related health impacts and by paying increased utility rates.

I support the use of local rooftop / parking lot solar and further energy efficiency for any future needed peaking power generation. Both our sun-blessed county and our state have a special opportunity to be leaders in the movement to reduce greenhouse gases.

In asking you to reject SDG&E’s application, I join my voice to that of thousands of local residents, Democrat Assembly Member Marty Block, Republican Assembly Member Brian Jones, San Diego Mayor Bob Filner, and the San Diego City Council, who oppose the Quail Brush project.

I sincerely urge you to uphold the decision of the Administrative Law Judge.

[Your name, your address]
[Your city, state, zip]

Further information
– Get informed why QB is not needed with this great letter on the CEC public record.
– For details of the CPUC 11/20/12 proposed decision, click the CPUC website here.
– Read articles discussing the CPUC draft decision in the East County Magazine and the Santee Patch. Feel free to add comments!
– Click here then the “Subscribe” button in top left to automatically recieve CPUC notices about this SDG&E application for Quail Brush and two other unnecessary gas plants in San Diego.

 
Rendering 10.2012 power plant by applicant
Rendering by CoGentrix of Quail Brush fossil fuel plant

Keep the Pressure On! “Attend” from home this week and next…

Keep the Pressure On the CEC and CoGentrix and continue your dedication to stopping the Quail Brush power plant. While you’re at work or home, here are two events you can easily “attend” by calling in on your phone (put your phone on mute) or via online on Dec. 4 and 10. Easy steps are below. Listen in and be counted (and/or participate if you wish) to these California Energy Commission (CEC) meetings about Quail Brush. Click for detailed agendas and instructions (p. 1-3 for agendas, and p. 7 for instructions), but here is all you really need to know:

1) TUESDAY, December 4, 2012 – Beginning at 3:00 PM  This is primarily a closed meeting, but it opens with a brief public comment portion. The CEC invites the public and interested agencies to listen in and participate.

TELEPHONE ONLY (NO COMPUTER ACCESS)
Call 1-866-469-3239 (toll-free in the U.S. and Canada) and when prompted enter the meeting number for the specific date: 12/4/12 – meeting number: 923 152 206
or
VIA ONLINE (“WEBEX”)
Go to https://energy.webex.com and enter the meeting number 923 152 206 When prompted, enter your information and the meeting password: pwd#1516
If you have a phone number with a direct line (not extension): After you login, a prompt will appear on-screen for you to provide your phone no. In the Number box, type your area code and phone no. and click OK. You will receive a call back on your phone for the audio of the meeting. If you have a phone number with an extension: After you login, a prompt will ask for your phone no. Click “CANCEL.” Instead, call 1-866-469-3239 (toll-free in the U.S. and Canada). When prompted, enter the meeting number above and your unique Attendee ID number which is listed in the top left area of your screen after you login.

2) MONDAY, December 10, 2012 – Beginning at 10:30 AM
Same instructions as above, different meeting number:  927 041 698 (password same as above, pwd#1516)
This is a Status Conference with the following Agenda:
1. Call to Order
2. Reports from Applicant, Staff and Intervenors regarding the status of the Quail Brush Generation Project AFC.
3. Public Comment
Members of the public and other interested persons and entities may speak up to three minutes on a matter appearing on this agenda.
4. Closed Session (if necessary) Committee closed session consideration of the following Item: Deliberation by the Committee on any matters submitted for decision by the Committee including, but not limited to pending motions and scheduling.
5. Adjourn

If you have difficulty joining the meetings, please call the WebEx Technical Support number at 1-866-229-3239. To see if your computer is compatible, visit http://support.webex.com/support/system-requirements.html.
Please be aware that the meeting’s WebEx audio and on-screen activity may be recorded.