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For Immediate Release, March 21, 2013

Contact:   Van Collinsworth, Preserve Wild Santee, (619) 258-7929
John Buse, Center for Biological Diversity, (323) 533-4416

Polluting Power Plants Quail Brush and Pio Pico Denied Purchase Power Agreements With San Diego Utility

SAN DIEGO— Preserve Wild Santee and the Center for Biological Diversity join a broad coalition of community organizations applauding the California Public Utilities Commission’s unanimous decision today to deny two gas-fired power plants’ proposal to sell power to San Diego Gas & Electric Co. The commission concluded that San Diego County does not need the Quail Brush and Pio Pico power plants until at least 2018.

“In a victory for Mission Trails Park and San Diego, today’s decision is likely to prevent the emission of over 800,000 annual tons of greenhouse gases while potentially saving ratepayers $1.5 billion in plant related costs over twenty years,” said Van Collinsworth, Preserve Wild Santee’s executive director. “In regard to Quail Brush, we request a similar denial from the California Energy Commission where the Quail application is still pending.”

“These dirty gas-fired power plants would add to California’s air pollution and worsen the global climate crisis,” said John Buse, senior attorney for Center for Biological Diversity. “San Diego should take this opportunity to move forward on plans for clean, locally generated electricity like rooftop solar to make sure these plants are never needed.”

“Now is the time to introduce a San Diego Community Energy District that can accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to clean distributed local power that creates jobs and keeps energy dollars circulating locally,” said Collinsworth. “We look forward to supporting Mayor Bob Filners’s plans to make San Diego a clean distributed energy standout in California and the nation — action that is less obstructed thanks to today’s CPUC Decision.”

Preserve Wild Santee and the Center for Biological Diversity are also intervenors in the ongoing Quail Brush power plant proceedings at the California Energy Commission, which is deciding whether or not to approve the power plant at its proposed location.


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