CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY, AND THE DESERT

Christensen, Niklas and Dennis Lettenmaier, 2007. A multimodel ensemble approach to assessment of climate change impacts on the hydrology and water resources of the Colorado River basin. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, online journal: http://www.hydro.washington.edu/SurfaceWaterGroup/Publications/hessd-2006-0147-tx.pdf

Hubbert, M.K.,1956. Nuclear Energy and the Fossil Fuels, Spring Meeting of the Southern District, Division of Production, American Petroleum Institute Plaza Hotel, San Antonio, Texas March 7-8-9, 1956, Pub. No. 95, Shell Development Co. Exploration and Production Research Div. Houston, TX.

Thomas, Chris D., Alison Cameron, Rhys E. Green, Michel Bakkenes, Linda J. Beaumont, Yvonne C. Collingham, Barend F. N. Erasmus, Marinez Ferreira de Siqueira, Alan Grainger, Lee Hannah, Lesley Hughes, Brian Huntley, Albert S. van Jaarsveld, Guy F. Midgley1, Lera Miles, Miguel A. Ortega-Huerta1,A. Townsend Peterson1, Oliver L. Phillips, and Stephen E. Williams, 2004. Extinction risk from climate change, Nature 427:8.

Seager, Richard, Mingfang Ting, Isaac Held, Yochanan Kushnir, Jian Lu, Gabriel Vecchi, Huei-Ping Huang, Nili Harnik, Ants Leetmaa, Ngar-Cheung Lau, Cuihua Li, Jennifer Velez, and Naomi Naik, 2007. Model Projections of an Imminent Transition to a More Arid Climate in Southwestern North America, Science 316:1181-1184.

(1) Greg Garfin, The University of Arizona, Institute for the Study of Planet Earth, Tucson, AZ.
(2) Kelly Redmond, Desert Research Institute, Western Regional Climate Center, Reno, NV.
(3) Todd Esque, United States Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Henderson, NV.
(4) Kirsten Ironside , Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research, Flagstaff, AZ.
(5) Mike Crimmins, The University of Arizona, Department of Soil, Water, and Environmental Science and Arizona Cooperative Extension, Tucson, AZ.
(6) Joe Kiesecker , The Nature Conservancy, Lander, WY.
(7) Rebecca Carter, Sonoran Institute, Tucson, AZ.
(8) Tom Scott, University of California Integrated Hardwood Range Management Program, Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley and Center For Conservation Biology and Department of Earth Sciences, University of California, Riverside.
(9) Wayne Spencer, Conservation Biology Institute and South Coast Wildlands, Riverside, CA.
(10) Guy McPherson, The University of Arizona, School of Natural Resources and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tucson, AZ.

SUNRISE POWERLINK: A BATTLE FOR CALIFORNIA'S ENERGY FUTURE
"Renewables a magic word to sell public on Powerlink" Dean Calbreath. San Diego Union-Tribune, April 27, 2008
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/calbreath/20080427-9999-1b27dean.html

Jay Powell. "Powerlink or Weak Link?" San Diego Newsline March 23-30, 1983, pp. 2-3.

Laura McDonald. Part I: 500kV Transmission Update. PowerPoint presentation. May 19, 2005.
http://www.energy.ca.gov/2005_energypolicy/documents/2005-05-19_workshop/MCDONALD_LAURA_SDGE.PDF

Division of Ratepayer Advocates report. May 17, 2007. Click here to view


Craig D. Rose. "Ruling Disrupts Sunrise Schedule." San Diego Union-Tribune. July 25, 2007.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/business/20070725-9999-1b25sunrise.html

"Sunrise Powerlink could prompt more coal-fired power" Michael Shames, Report from the Sunrise Powerlink hearings.
Click here to view

History of Events Related to Sunrise Powerlink

1996 Deregulation of California energy market.

1996-1998 SDG&E parent company Sempra Energy plans ring of natural gas combined cycle plants around Southern California.

2000-2003 Sempra builds four plants in a ring around Southern California: Elk Hills 550 MW (Kern County), El Dorado 480 MW (Las Vegas), Mesquite 1,250 MW (western Arizona), Termoelectrica 600 MW (Mexicali) – total cost: ~$1.5 billion

2001 California power crisis. Gray Davis awards Sempra a 10-year, $7 billion power contract. State buys natural gas for Sempra power plants under terms of the Dept. of Water Resources (DWR) contract. Southern California Edison (SCE) is recipient of the power. DWR contract ends in 2011.

2001 Sempra completes Baja Norte Gas Pipeline in Baja California along border with California. Designed to carry up to 1,000 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of natural gas. 2001
Department of Energy (DOE) grants approval for Sempra (600 MW) and Intergen (560 MW) to build transmission lines from Mexicali plants to Imperial Valley substation on U.S. side of border.

2001 SDG&E files application with California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to build proposed 500 kV Valley-Rainbow transmission project. Justification "grid reliability, increase import/export capability, utilize generation in San Diego region. No mention of renewable energy. Starting point" Valley substation on SCE grid. Ultimate endpoint - Imperial Valley substation on border.

2003 CPUC rejects SDG&E appeal of decision against Valley-Rainbow project on 3-2 vote. The two votes against rejection of SDG&E's appeal are Michael Peevey and Susan Kennedy.

2003 SDG&E immediately begins work on Imperial Valley San Diego Expansion Plan (ISEP), a 500 kV transmission line from Imperial County to San Diego.

2004 SDG&E organizes focus group of prominent San Diego business and political leaders to determine how best to "sell" the proposed 500 kV transmission line from Imperial County. Consensus is that the line must be sold as a renewable energy line to gain public support.

2004-2005 Emphasis by SDG&E on need for 500 kV transmission line from Imperial County to San Diego to import geothermal power (see April 11, 2005 SDG&E presentation to CEC in 2005 IEPR process), in addition to addressing reliability and congestion issues.

2005 Sempra begins construction of 1,000 mmcf liquefied natural gas import terminal approximately 75 miles south of San Diego in Baja California.

2005 SDG&E signs contract with Stirling Energy Systems for 300 - 900 MW of dish solar. One month earlier SDG&E co-authors report that states dish Stirling is pre-commercial technology (www.renewablesg.org, Appendix E, p. 2). First 300 MW must be online by 2010 or contract is void.

2005 SDG&E files first application to construct the Sunrise Powerlink. Sunrise Powerlink begins at Imperial Valley substation with ultimate terminus at SCE grid near Valley substation. SDG&E indicates no plans to contract for significant amounts of geothermal power. Estimated "life of project"� cost is $7 billion in 2010 dollars ($1.3 billion financed over 40 yr.)

2006 Sempra agrees to pay $500 million to settle lawsuit by SoCal cities for overcharging on natural gas sales during 2000-2001 energy crisis.

2006 DWR arbitration panel orders Sempra to pay $70 million for violations of DWR contract. Sempra is ordered to stop deliberately congesting SDG&E's 500 kV Southwest Powerlink.

2007 DOE grants Sempra permit to build second pipeline across border to accommodate expansion of Baja Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) terminal to 2,700 mmcfd. Average SoCal demand is 3,000 mmcfd.

2007 Firestorms simultaneously cut the two main transmission corridors into San Diego in October and burn several miles of SDG&Eâ's preferred corridor for Sunrise Powerlink.

2007 SDG&E imports 67% of power used in its service territory in 2007.

2007 Stirling fails to construct 1 MW dish Stirling pilot project as required under terms of contract with SCE.

2007 California Energy Commission (CEC) identifies cost of dish Stirling at $6,000/kW.

2008 SCE announces 250 to 500 MW commercial PV project and a 250 MW solar trough project. No information provided by SCE on status of Stirling 1 MW pilot project.

2008 SCE identifies installed cost of commercial PV project at less than $4,000/kW AC.