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Newspaper, Regional Leaders Urge Federal Officials to Issue Forest Service Approval
The Imperial Valley Press has published a compelling editorial calling for an end to the numerous lawsuits being filed against the approved Sunrise Powerlink transmission line, saying that the suits only delay planned renewable energy projects that will spur economic development and create jobs in Imperial County.
The editorial comes on the heels of efforts by regional elected officials and business leaders urging top-level federal officials to approve the Sunrise Powerlink. Recently, the five-member Imperial County Board of Supervisors sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack urging swift approval. Additionally, CASP co-chairs urged Mr. Vilsack in another letter to take an active role in the approval of the transmission line.
"We hope these lawsuits don’t continue to stall Powerlink progress because the Valley is on the cusp of some major green projects, including the Stirling Energy solar array that could bring much-needed jobs to the area," the editorial stated. "They would also help the county establish itself as the green leader as has been much-discussed in recent years."
Ruben Barrales, a co-chair of the Community Alliance for the Sunrise Powerlink (CASP) and President and CEO of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, said he was gratified by the editorial, which echoes sentiments CASP has been talking about for years.
"It is a refreshing dose of common sense," Barrales said. "No one disputes the fact that the Imperial Valley is one of the richest areas in the country for renewable resources such as solar and geothermal energy. We just need a way to deliver that energy to San Diego."
"The Sunrise Powerlink is a huge infrastructure investment for this region," said Lorena Gonzalez, a CASP co-chair and secretary treasurer of the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council, in a letter to Vilsack. "The project will bring hundreds of jobs to Imperial County, an area where the unemployment rate is a nation-high 30 percent."
To help combat the unemployment issue, the Imperial Valley Economic Development Corporation is hosting a summit on renewable energy development March 16-18. Click here to learn more about that event.
Click here to read the Imperial Valley Press editorial. To send your own letter of support to the U.S. Forest Service, click here.
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