New Comments on Record for Quail Brush Power Project

Four written "comments on the record" were uploaded to the Quail Brush Power Plant informational site run by the CA Energy Commission on Friday. These include comments from local residents, with and the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The City of Santee also submitted an official comment on the project with a detailed list of issues they would like to see addressed; because of it's length, it is published in another story, download the entire City of Santee comment here.

Other comments that were read into the record can be , and the resolution of .

If you's like to submit comments for the record dealing with this project, send an email to dockets@energy.state.ca.us.

Here are the comments:

Van Collinsworth, Preserve Wild Santee

I would like to add an an initial comment for the Administrative Record-

The site proposed should be a component of a Quino checkerspot butterfly Recovery Unit. The site proposed functions as a refuge for people from urban disturbance and is within the midst of an expansion area for Mission Trails Regional Park.

It is one of the few places near high population density that creates a healthy balance from urban sites. The Project is not appropriate for this location and the existing land use.

Please be sure there are feasible alternative sites considered for this Project — including a feasible No Project Alternative that considers conservation strategies.

Thank you,
Van K. Collinsworth, M.A.
Resource Analyst/Executive Director
Preserve Wild Santee

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San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce

Good evening Commissioners, my name is Mike Nagy, representing the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.

We represent more than 2,600 member businesses and are actively involved in advocating for projects and policies that benefit our region. We thank you for this opportunity to weigh in on Cogentrix Energy's Quail Brush Project.

Cogentrix Energy gave a presentation to our Energy and Water Committee several months ago. While the Chamber has not yet formally supported the Quail Brush Project, the Committee was very supportive of the project and its outreach to the local community.

Historically, the Chamber supports energy projects that improve the region's reliability.

We believe, projects like Quail Brush, are necessary and important to the region's energy security.

Our businesses depend on a reliable power supply void of disruptions because even a brief outage could be very costly to our economy. Natural gas peaker plants allow us to use clean power without experiencing any negative effects related to intermittency.

The project also creates temporary and permanent jobs, which is very important given that San Diego's unemployment rate remains above 9 percent.

Thus, the Chamber asks the CEC to move the Quail Brush Project further along the approval process.

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Robert Hingtgen, resident of San Diego

Thank you for the presentation at Mission Trails Park yesterday and this opportunity to comment on this proposed project.

I was somewhat pleasantly surprised yesterday when you informed the public that the preferred POI is now the Carlton Hills substation as I would be opposed to any infrastructure being placed in Spring Canyon or on the surrounding slopes. Spring Canyon is a very popular recreational corridor and very important wildlife corridor.

Any infrastructure proposed here would have significant construction and operational impactds on these attributes with respect to public access, lighting, noise, aesthetics, and fire hazards. Spring Canyon is for all practical purposes an extension of Mission Trails and any development here would confict with long term plans to incorporate this area and land to the north into Mission Trails. An updated project layout figure should be made available online.

However, the Carlton Hills substation is also located on an important recreational route leading north into Sycamore Canyon. Both aboveground and underground new transmission facilities needed for this new preferred POI and any expansion of the Carlton Hills substation should also be fully evaluated with respect to recreational access, noise, lighting, aesthetics and fire hazards. Both preferred and alternative locations for all components of the proposed project must be disclosed and fully evaluated.

Alternatives to the project or location which are capable of avoiding or substantially lessening any significant impacts of the project, even if they would impede the attainment of project objectives or would be more costly, must be fully evaluated, considered and disclosed to the public.

A Greenhouse Gas Emissions inventory and report should be developed to determine whether the project would
result in a significant impact and if so, what, if any, mitigation measures are feasible.

As the proposed project is located in a hazardous wildfire area, a Fire Protection Plan should be developed as a
technical report at this stage of planning in order to fully inform the public in regards to this issue.

Thank you,
Robert Hingtgen, resident of San Diego