Should a high-voltage power line run through California's largest state park? Critics are furious

"The 500-kilovolt transmission line would run some 140 miles from an important substation in southeastern Imperial County, near the Mexican border, to a new one on the border of Orange and San Diego counties near the Pacific Ocean - carving a steel-towered path through Anza-Borrego to get there."

"The estimated $2.3-billion powerlink is among the largest and most expensive projects in California's transmission plan, and would connect one of the state's major coastal population centers to one of its richest renewable energy zones. The Imperial Valley is a key interconnection point for regional solar, geothermal and battery storage projects."

"Both the San Diego utility and the state's grid manager, the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), say the project is essential for meeting ambitious carbon reduction goals and alleviating constraint on power lines in Southern California during high demand."

""This would provide a critical pathway to unlock the additional generation that we know will be necessary, that will be part of the demand that's forecasted to increase in the future," said Erica Martin, the project's director of development with SDG&E. Construction would begin toward in 2029 to go online in 2032."

A planned 500-kilovolt transmission line, the Golden Pacific Powerlink, would run about 140 miles from a substation in southeastern Imperial County to a new substation near the Orange and San Diego county border. The route would pass through Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, a large area known for solitude, dark skies, and desert habitat. The project is estimated at $2.3 billion and is intended to connect major coastal demand with renewable energy resources in the Imperial Valley. SDG&E and CAISO say the line is needed to meet carbon reduction goals and reduce power-line constraints during high demand. Opponents argue the steel-towered corridor would harm the park and reflect a wider challenge of balancing clean energy expansion with preservation of public lands and wildlife habitats.

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