Category: Video

Announcing SMTV & March 21 – UPDATED!!

UPDATE! On 3/21/13, the CPUC unanimously rejected Quail Brush and Pio Pico…FOR NOW, but left the door open for SDG&E to re-apply if a future need is determined. NOW IT’S TIME for the California Energy Commission (CEC) to reject Quail Brush. We won’t stop until QB is RIP. 

More details coming soon. In the meantime, check out Our Supporters to see what a great coalition of support exists for saving Mission Trails and our communities, and for clean, green energy. Thank you!! (And there are more, too.) Then, click Email Activism to send your letter of opposition to the California Energy Commission (CEC) (#1) today!

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Join the Revolution! CPUC Final Vote Thursday, March 21, on new fossil fuel plants at Mission Trails and in Chula Vista. Arrive BEFORE 9AM to submit a speaker slip.
Too shy to speak? Just state your name and “I SUPPORT the original draft decisions which reject the new gas plants as not needed” either into the microphone or in writing. Or prepare a (one minute or less) statement – addressing LACK of NEED.
Rally: 8:00 AM  Speaker Slips must be submitted before 9:00 AM only – Come at 8:30 and sign a speaker slip!
Meeting Starts: 9:00 AM    Wear orange!
Location: 5520 Overland Avenue, S.D., 92123  Conference Center Hearing Room
Parking: Parking garage near the corner of Overland and Farnham.
Info: Sierra Club Revised Fact Sheet about San Diego’s Dirty Power Plant Scheme
Check savemissiontrails.org/meetings for any changes before you go OR to find out how to view online or listen in by phone.

Annoucing SMTV!  People who care about Mission Trails Regional Park speak out!

Click on the “Share icon” in the top right corner of each video to spread the word – next to the circular Info icon.
Stephen stands up for Mission Trails Park, and asks you to show up on 3/21.

Pauline requests your help in fighting the polluting power plant next to our park.

Robin argues Mission Trails is no place for a gas plant with 11 stacks, and we agree!

Retha reminds us natural gas is not clean, just cleaner than COAL, so get fired up!

S.D. City Council 9/24/12 voted NO to gas plant BUT Cogentrix is STILL a threat.

Save Mission Trails, Earth Day Fair – 2013

What’s Going On Behind Closed Doors? What Can I Do?

What’s Going on Behind Closed Doors regarding power plants at Mission Trails/Santee and in Chula Vista? Turko Video The CPUC, CEC, Cogentrix, SDGE, CleanTech, and other industry and corporate stakeholders (excluding the public and the press) will meet in San Diego one day before the CPUC votes on whether the power plants are actually needed, four months after the CPUC correctly rejected these fossil fuel-burning plants as not needed.
Click above for what Turko says on 3/6/13 about this secret meeting.
UPDATE: Turko File Follow-Up 3/11/13 says a lawsuit has been filed to stop the meeting.

What You Can Do Now to Prevent new unneeded Fossil Fuel-burning Plants in our region, including grading hills for an 11-stack monster adjacent to majestic Mission Trails park and open space area. Want to stop a massive waste of taxpayer dollars?

1. MOST IMPORTANT – Attend the CPUC meeting THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 8:00 AM  [NOTE TIME REVISION: RALLY AT 8:00, PUBLIC COMMENT SIGN-IN AT 8:30, COMMENT SIGN-IN CLOSED and MEETING STARTS AT 9:00 AM. COME AT 8:00 IF YOU CAN!]
We need a huge show of force–yes, again!–to tell the CPUC to uphold the November draft decision which rejects these power plants. Take off work to attend, if you can.
PRE-MEETING RALLY: 8:00 AM at the site – Public Comment sign-in 8:30 AM
LOCATION: 5520 Overland Avenue, San Diego, 92123 — County Operations Center’s Conference Center (Campus Center) in Kearny Mesa. Check this website for any changes before you go.
BE COUNTED! We encourage EVERYONE to speak (1 minute or less), or at least submit a written comment on a speaker slip. Arrive by 8:30 AM to sign in.
SIMPLY STATE: “I support the CPUC’s A.L.J. and alternate draft decisions”
(at a minimum) and your name.

2. If you can’t attend, you still have a voice. Email and/or phone the CPUC today and ask two friends to do the same.

3. Over 600 letters opposing Cogentrix’s Quail Brush are on the CA Energy Commission (CEC)’s public docket. Let’s make it 1,000! Read some of the letters and send yours — or commit two friends to do so — today. Easy instructions on the Email Activism Page No. (2). PLEASE NOTE: The CEC will reject, approve, or withdraw the Mission Trails/Santee power plant application this spring, regardless of the CPUC vote. Don’t let the CEC and Cogentrix grade our beautiful park hills and pollute our air.

4. Ask Governor Brown to speak on behalf of the public interest and to relieve the pressure on the CPUC to rewrite their decision in favor of SDG&E/Cogentrix allowing another ratepayer rip-off.

5. Have fun at a SMT volunteer community outreach event! Join an early-morning hike up Cowles Mountain and/or petition-signing at the trailhead on March 16. Details on the Meetings Page.

6. “Like” and share our Facebook page and tweet us!

FAST FACTS: Peak electricity demand has been stable in San Diego and statewide since 1999. Generation capacity of gas-fired plants is in excess of 30% now. The Los Angeles basin will add 2,000 MW of gas-fired power plants this summer that will further balloon generation capacity. And yet another 2,000 MW are slated for construction elsewhere in California.

SDG&E has ample power generation without San Onofre. The required reserves is 15 to 17%. On the hottest hour of the year on Sept. 14, 2012, SDG&E still had reserves of about 24% without San Onofre.

BOTTOM LINE: The public would be saddled with at least $1.2 billion in construction and finance costs for just Pio Pico and Quail Brush in exchange for only 23 permanent jobs in our region. Claims by SDG&E that peak demand is rising and new peaker plants are needed for the hottest days are false.

We are steadfast in fighting the good fight. Thank you for all your hard work!

Orange Overpowers Opposition! Next Up: CPUC Vote Feb. 28

CPUC Rally

UPDATE: THE CPUC VOTE HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED (FOR A 4TH TIME) TO THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28.  CONTINUE TO PHONE/EMAIL THE CPUC.

AT THE FEB. 1 CPUC PUBLIC FORUM, over one hundred citizens voiced their opposition to Quail Brush and their support for the CPUC’s draft decision denying SDG&E a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for three fossil fuel plants. Orange overpowered the opposition and clearly stated the lack of necessity for these new polluting plants in the San Diego area. Check out the Highlights — videos, news articles, quotes, and photos below.

Sea of orange T-shirt wearers

YOU CAN STILL CALL OR EMAIL THE CPUC TODAY.
“I support the Administrative Law Judge’s decision and Commissioner Ferron’s decision on SDG&E application A110-5023.”
Phone before the Wed. Feb. 28 vote:
Michael Peevey, President, 415-703-3703
Catherine Sandoval, Commissioner, 415-703-3700
Michel Peter Florio, Commissioner, 415-703-2440
Mark Ferron, Commissioner, 415-703-2444
Carla Peterman, Commissioner, 415-703-1407
and/or Email public.advisor@cpuc.ca.gov
Include in the Subject Line: A1105023 – Support the Proposed Decision. Be sure to INCLUDE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, CITY, ZIP to be counted.
Feel free to copy and use Talking Points from the Sierra Club’s Fact Check: SDG&E’s Billion Dollar Power Plant Scheme or Save Mission Trails sample letter (scroll to mid-page).

NEXT UP:  CPUC MTG/VOTE – WED, FEB. 28, 9:00 AM – San Francisco
Again on the agenda is the vote on the CPUC’s proposed decision to deny SDG&E power purchasing agreements for Quail Brush and two other gas plants. Click link for directions to listen in or watch the live video.  Here is the agenda: see page 25, Item 24, A1105023. Prepare now to watch the video by trying to watch an archived video. You needRealPlayer installed to watch CPUC videos. You can download RealPlayer for free here.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CPUC PUBLIC FORUM in San Diego on Feb. 1
Save Mission Trails applauds the elected officials who showed up and spoke up against Quail Brush (Mission Trails/Santee) and Pio Pico (Chula Vista) gas plants:

Dave Roberts speaks at Forum
SD County Supervisor Dave Roberts

– San Diego County Supervisor Dave Roberts
– Santee Councilmember
Jack Dale
– Former state assemblymember (and current Sierra Club San Diego Chair) Lori Saldaña,
and SMT thanks these organizations which helped organize and/or added their strong voices:
Environmental Health Coalition (wearing blue), Preserve Wild Santee, Sierra Club, and the Coalition to Decommission San Onofre.

NEWS CLIPS – VIDEOS
YouTube Video: Fox, Ch.8, Ch.10
CBS Ch.8
and NEWS ARTICLES
East County Magazine
San Diego Union-Tribune
Santee Patch

OVERHEARD AT THE PODIUM at the CPUC Forum
“San Diego already has the highest electricity rates in the country: $190 per 100 kilowatt hours. We want to be known as the clean energy capital instead.”

“Peaker plants would not have helped us when the grid was down in 2011.”

“San Diegans should not be punished for conserving energy.”

“California is known for innovation. San Diego is known for sun. The time is now.”

CPUC Representative Denise Tyrrell, taking notes, listens to nearly 60 speakers opposed to the power plants. Only one in favor of Quail Brush.
CPUC Representative Denise Tyrrell, taking notes, listens to nearly 60 speakers opposed to the power plants. Only one spoke in favor of Quail Brush.

“Quail Brush and Pio Pico were quietly going through the CEC permitting process BEFORE the CPUC even determined a need.”

“San Diego has 7,000 megawatts of potential energy from rooftop and parking lot solar.”

“Where’s my Power Purchase Agreement for solar generation?”

“A policy change could change civilization. What we are leaving for our children?”

“The corporatocracy is short-sidedly pursuing profits while you and I pay the costs: decreased jobs by 10 solar to 1 peaker plant, and increased health problems, utility rates, and global warming gases.”

“Where is SDG&E tonight? Why was the decision delayed? Do they have another game going on that they don’t need to be here?”

and, the favorite, “I’m not against peaker plants. I just put a twenty-two-panel peaker plant on my roof!”

You can add your own comments here and check back after Feb. 28 for updates!

Why Save Mission Trails? – by Patty Mooney

I admit it.  Mission Trails Regional Park is my backyard, and I do not want to see, hear or smell a power plant anywhere near this, the largest urban park in the USA.  Yet that is exactly what Sempra Energy and Cogentrix want to do.  They want to stick a grotesque conglomeration with 11 100-foot smokestacks and dozens of electrical towers right on top of Mission Trails where the “wild things” roam.  We’re talking about the home turf of Wile E Coyote and Road Runner.

Of course, as one of the unofficial custodians of this beautiful park, I must now let the world know what is going on in this corner of the planet, and why we must all be concerned about this.

It would be like plunking a power plant down on top of Yosemite or Zion or Central Park.  These are the places that people go for their emotional, physical and spiritual well being.  As Robert Redford said at the Yosemite National Park dedication in 1985, “I think the environment should be put in the category of our national security.  Defense of our resources is just as important as defense abroad.  Otherwise what is there to defend?”

I personally believe that Mission Trails Regional Park should have the protection status of our national parks, and that the last thing we, as a world community, should do is allow a bunch of greedy energy corporations to ruin paradise.  And that’s why I made this little video with the help of my husband: