Date:
August 18, 2026
25
To:
Board of Supervisors
Title
Receiving a Presentation on the Effects of the Golden Pacific Powerlink Project on the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (Districts: 2, 5)
End
Overview
The Golden Pacific Powerlink is a proposed high-voltage (500-kilovolt) electric transmission project being developed by San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) to deliver electricity from Imperial County to a new proposed substation in south Orange County. The project was identified as a needed transmission upgrade through the California Independent System Operator's (CAISO) statewide transmission planning process. Transmission lines act like freeways for electricity, as usage increases, the lines become congested, requiring more transmission lines to be built to decrease congestion. CAISO has determined the need for this line based on the estimated increase in demand for electricity in the state in the coming years.
SDG&E, as the local developer and operator, is conducting early engineering, environmental studies, and community outreach. A preliminary route has been identified that would extend from the Imperial Valley Substation north to State Route 78, following the highway through Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The route would then continue along State Route 79 through Temecula before crossing Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton and ending at the proposed substation. Alternative routes are being evaluated at this time. Residents that live along the proposed route have wildfire, wildlife, environmental, and private property concerns. One of the principal concerns is the portion of the project that will cut directly through Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, the largest state park in California.
The Anza-Borrego Foundation, the official non-profit partner of the park, has raised many concerns about the project and the effects it will have on the park. In addition, a local group, the Chaparral Land Conservancy, has a vested interest in the wellbeing of the...
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