It’s the Infrastructure, Stupid

Sunrise Powerlink Gets Boost from CPUC President -- Approval is Next

SDG&E got a boost on its efforts to build the Sunrise Powerlink, a $1.9 billion power line proposed to connect San Diego and Imperial counties.

Michael Peevey, president of the California Public Utilities Commission, offered a third alternative for his four fellow commissioners to consider when they discuss the proposal on December 18, 2008.

President Peevey's proposal would allow SDG&E to build the Powerlink without any condition that the line be required to deliver green energy to San Diego.

The proposal points to a southern route that avoids Anza-Borrego Desert State Parkand communities such as Julian and Santa Ysabel.  Does he have the votes to get this done?  Sources say yes. 

I have said before, infrastructure is in short supply -- and our continued grwoth -- like it or not -- demands that we build the necessary infrastructure that we will need to keep the lights on.  And for those who say we don't need it -- not only do we need transmission, we need to add more generation inside of California too.  Failure to do these necessary upgrades and construction will cause us to fail on the effort (and now law and executive order) to get to a greener future.

CATO Institute Calls President-Elect Obama's "Going Green" Plan a "wealth transfer"

The much respected CATO Institute has issued a report on the Obama energy plan to go green for the United States, and the report says the only "green" in the plan will be part of a wealth transfer.

As if that were not enough, the report also says that a federal renewable portfolio standard is unlikely to deliver much green power.  The paper dubbed President-elect Barack Obama’s plan to create a federal green power standard of 10 percent in 2012 and 25 percent in 2025 a “wealth transfer.”

Read the report:  "A Federal Renewable Electricity Requirement" www.cato.org

Obama-Nation: Historic Win -- Now What on Energy?

Historic.  That's the word that most of the pundits used to describe it.  While I have my reservations about some of the issues and how the President Elect may deal with them, I agree that we have an exciting situation in the United States.  Biut closer to my heart is energy.  And what can we expect from the president elect and the vice president elect?

Lets review what they said during the campaign and you decide.  As for me -- I see HUGE hurdles, given the economy.  Many challanges remain in California and as to how we meld with the campaign promises and the realities that come -- well, lets wait and see...

What Does Barack Obama Say About Energy?

www.barackobama.com

ü      Reduce the Burden of Rising Gas Prices on Working Families

ü      Reduce Carbon Emissions 80 Percent by 2050

ü      Invest in a Clean Energy Future

ü      Support Next Generation Biofuels

ü      Set A

merica on Path to Oil Independence

ü      Improve Energy Efficiency 50 Percent by 2030

ü      Restore U.S. Leadership on Climate Change

Senator Joe Biden

The energy challenge take sacrifice and is a moral crusade. (Dec 2007)

FactCheck: Oil did not jump $18/bbl due to Iran Resolution. (Dec 2007)

Supports cap-and-trade for greenhouse gases. (Nov 2007)

Provide for emergency fuel assistance immediately. (Oct 2007)

Make every automobile sold be a flex-fuel automobile. (Apr 2007)

Voted YES on tax incentives for energy production and conservation. (Jun 2008)

Voted YES on addressing CO2 emissions without considering India & China. (May 2008)

Voted YES on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies. (Jun 2007)

Voted YES on factoring global warming into federal project planning. (May 2007)

Voted YES on disallowing an oil leasing program in Alaska's ANWR. (Nov 2005)

Voted YES on $3.1B for emergency oil assistance for hurricane-hit areas. (Oct 2005)

Voted YES on reducing oil usage by 40% by 2025 (instead of 5%). (Jun 2005)

Voted YES on banning drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. (Mar 2005)

Voted YES on Bush Administration Energy Policy. (Jul 2003)

Voted YES on targeting 100,000 hydrogen-powered vehicles by 2010. (Jun 2003)

Voted YES on removing consideration of drilling ANWR from budget bill. (Mar 2003)

Voted NO on drilling ANWR on national security grounds. (Apr 2002)

Voted NO on terminating CAFE standards within 15 months. (Mar 2002)

Voted NO on preserving budget for ANWR oil drilling. (Apr 2000)

Voted NO on ending discussion of CAFE fuel efficiency standards. (Sep 1999)

Voted NO on defunding renewable and solar energy. (Jun 1999)

Voted NO on approving a nuclear waste repository. (Apr 1997)

Voted NO on do not require ethanol in gasoline. (Aug 1994)

Keep efficient air conditioner rule to conserve energy. (Mar 2004)

Establish greenhouse gas tradeable allowances. (Feb 2005)

Sponsored bill raising CAFE by a 4% per year until 2018. (Jul 2006)

Rated 83% by the CAF, indicating support for energy independence. (Dec 2006)

Designate sensitive ANWR area as protected wilderness. (Nov 2007)

CPUC's Trick or Treat on Sunrise

On all Hollows Eve, the CPUC offered a treat to SDG&E:  competing proposed decisions on thier proposed Sunrise Powerlink.  The trick:  the two proposed decisions either partly or fully oppose the project.

The first of the proposed decisions, authored by an administrative law judge, denies the application for the 150-mile Sunrise Powerlink altogether, saying the project could significantly raise electric rates and do extensive environmental damage if built, and “is not needed to meet California's current renewable (energy) requirements.”

The second proposed decision, written by Commissioner Grueneich, approves the project but denies SDG&E its preferred northern route.  Grueneich argues that Powerlink is needed to meet state goals in reducing greenhouse gases, but the utility should use a southern route through

San Diego

County

that avoids

Anza-Borrego

Desert

State Park

and all tribal lands.

The full commission is not expected to vote on the two proposed decisions until December 4 at the earliest.  The commission will hear comments from interested parties and oral arguments at a public hearing in

San Francisco

on November 7.