Address the Decision Makers: the CPUC Commissioners Are Coming to North County

Thursday, September 17
11:00AM
San Marcos City Council Chambers
1 Civic Center Drive, San Marcos, CA 92069

This is a general voting meeting, and the CPUC commissioners will not be addressing or voting on the Powerlink at this time (SDG&E is filing their formal application with the regulatory agency late this year, which will begin the official process). However, this is an incredible opportunity for the commissioners to see and hear from Temecula.

Please see below for some tips and topic suggestions to make the most of your 1 minute.

Whether or not you speak, show up in your Save Temecula shirt or yellow so they know you are standing for Temecula.

The CPUC is based in San Francisco, and the vast majority of its voting meetings are held there or in Sacramento. Don’t miss this chance!

Details

Public comments will be limited to 1 minute each.
For in person comments, sign ups usually begin at the Public Advisor’s table at 10:30AM.
Meetings start promptly at 11AM. Public comments will be during the first part of the meeting, following any opening comments from the Commissioners.
In person comments first, followed by phone comments.
No visual aids or projectors during public comments.
Signage is allowed in the chamber, but they request that people with signs stand in the back so they do not block cameras streaming the meeting or obstruct the views of attendees.
How to make a comment by phone: call in around 10:30AM to be placed in queue. The phone number is 1-800-857-1917, passcode: 9899501#, and then press *1. The operator will take your name, and then you will be able to listen to the Voting Meeting as it happens. Once it is your time to speak, the operator will announce you by name and you can begin your comment.
Please be respectful and honorably represent Temecula and its residents. This is just the beginning of our important relationship with the CPUC and an opportunity to respectfully address the decision-makers in person.

Public Comment Suggestions: Making the Most of Your Minute

While the Powerlink raises many areas of concern for residents of Temecula, there are certain topics that are within the purview of the CPUC. In this forum, we recommend focusing your attention and time on those.

1. Public Safety & Wildfire Risk (High Priority)

The CPUC has a statutory duty to ensure safe utility operation.

Ignition Risk: Highlight that the alignment traverses CAL FIRE Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. High-voltage infrastructure introduces severe, permanent ignition risks to a fire-prone area.
Firefighting Constraints: Emphasize how massive physical towers and overhead lines cripple aerial firefighting capabilities, blocking the exact emergency air support needed to protect Temecula neighborhoods.
Evacuation Bottlenecks: Explain how an active wildfire compromised by utility infrastructure threatens restricted local evacuation routes, creating a direct life-safety hazard for residents.

2. Cost, Economic Burden, & Ratepayer Impact

The CPUC is legally required to ensure utility rates are "just and reasonable." They care deeply about project necessity and cost inflation.

The CAISO Baseline: Hold the commission to the initial California Independent System Operator (CAISO) estimate of $2.3 billion, noting that major transmission projects historically face severe cost overruns.
Disproportionate Burden: Argue that Temecula ratepayers are being forced to shoulder the financial burden of an infrastructure project that provides no direct local reliability benefit.
The "Just and Reasonable" Standard: Demand that the CPUC reject the project if the developer cannot explicitly prove the line is the most cost-effective solution available to California consumers.

3. Environmental & Cultural Resource Impacts

Under CEQA, the CPUC acts as the lead agency responsible for mitigating permanent environmental and cultural destruction.

Critical Ecosystems: Focus on the irreversible damage to critical wildlife corridors and protected habitats along the Santa Margarita River and Temecula Creek.
Cultural Sovereignty: Emphasize the destruction of culturally sensitive ancestral sites and sacred landscapes for the Pechanga Band of Indians.

4. Feasible Alternatives

Under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the CPUC must evaluate a "reasonable range of alternatives" that avoid or minimize significant environmental impacts.

Co-Location: Urge the commission to mandate co-location within existing utility or transportation corridors to avoid cutting entirely new paths through unblemished land.
Grid Modernization: Push for advanced grid technologies like reconductoring (replacing existing lines with high-capacity wires) and dynamic line rating, which unlock capacity without the cost or footprint of a new line.