Myths vs. Facts

Myth #1:  If we simply conserve more energy and build small power plants, San Diego will have enough energy to meet demand in 2010.
Fact:  Conservation and increased local generation are important, but they’re not nearly enough. The region is growing rapidly, and so is its demand for electricity. The best solution, according to the California Energy Commission and California Independent System Operator, which manages the state’s power grid, is to build more transmission lines. The U.S. Department of Energy says San Diego’s energy corridor is one of the two weakest in the nation. The Imperial Valley has some of the largest potential renewable energy supplies in the country, but we need to be able to transmit the energy here. That’s why the Sunrise Powerlink is so urgently needed.
Myth #2:  Building new, local power plants or re-powering existing plants to meet our region's energy needs is a better option than the Sunrise Powerlink.
Fact:  Both power plants and transmission lines are needed. The first local power plant built in decades was completed in 2006 and another is planned to be up and running by summer 2009. But new state laws mandating more renewable power and fewer greenhouse gas emissions require SDG&E to stop relying on power plants that use fossil fuels. We need more renewable power. The Sunrise Powerlink will link San Diego to proposed solar, wind and geothermal energy projects in the Imperial Valley area and help transition our region to a green-power future.
Myth #3:  If solar panels were put on enough rooftops, we wouldn't need the Sunrise Powerlink.
Fact:  Rooftop solar will play a critical role in San Diego's future, but it's not enough to meet our customers' energy needs. Over the next decade, nearly 300 megawatts of new solar is expected to be installed in the region. However, to match the amount of energy the Sunrise Powerlink could deliver, you'd have to install 2,000 megawatts of solar panels on 855,000 residential rooftops. San Diegans would pay 10 percent of the $1.8 billion Sunrise Powerlink. If we rely exclusively on rooftop solar panels instead, SDG&E customers would pay the entire estimated cost of $20 billion and receive little improvement to energy reliability.
Myth #4:  The Sunrise Powerlink is proposed to connect power plants in Mexicali, Mexico to consumers in Los Angeles.
Fact:  The electricity from these facilities is already being delivered to California using existing transmission lines. These plants don't need the Sunrise Powerlink. If power producers in Mexico want access to the Los Angeles area, they could use the proposed Green Path North transmission line that will run from Imperial Valley directly to Los Angeles.
Myth #5:  SDG&E can meet the state's 20 percent by 2010 renewable energy mandate without the Sunrise Powerlink.
Fact:  Without the Sunrise Powerlink, SDG&E cannot meet the state's clean energy mandate by 2010. There's simply not enough local renewable power available. Areas like East San Diego County and Imperial Valley are rich in solar, wind and geothermal electricity but new power lines connecting San Diego to these resources are needed. The California Energy Commission and California Independent System Operator agree. That's why both independent entities strongly support the Sunrise Powerlink.
Myth #6:  Why not just use existing power lines deliver renewable power from Imperial Valley?
Fact:  Some electricity from renewable sources could be delivered using the existing Southwest Powerlink, but not nearly enough to meet the 20 percent target. And simply replacing one kind of resource for another doesn't address the reliability issue: the Sunrise Powerlink would be able to deliver another 1,000 megawatts to meet the region's growing appetite for electricity and provide greater flexibility during peak demand times.
Myth #7:  SDG&E won't commit to using the Sunrise Powerlink to deliver only renewable power.
Fact:  By federal law, SDG&E does not control who uses the Sunrise Powerlink or other transmission lines within California. The agency that manages the statewide energy grid and the federal government have that responsibility. This "open access" to transmission benefits consumers because SDG&E and other utilities can deliver the cheapest available power from throughout the desert Southwest and California.

The region is growing rapidly, and so is its demand for electricity.