Chu
Backcountry Against Dumps v. Chu
Opinion
Lead Opinion
Honlorenz, J.
ORDER RE: CROSS MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT
ECF Nos. 74, 75,
I. BACKGROUND
On August 17, 2012, the Department of Energy (“DOE”) announced its decision to issue a Presidential permit to Energia Sierra Juarez U.S. Transmission, LLC (“ESJ”), a subsidiary of Sempra Energy. The permit, PP-334, allowed ESJ “to construct, operate, maintain, and connect a double-circuit 230,000-volt (230-kV) elec-trie transmission line across the U.S.-Mexico border in eastern San Diego Country, California.” 77 Fed. Reg. 49789 -01.
The envisioned transmission line (“Project”) would run approximately 1.65 miles from the vicinity of La Rumorosa, Northern Baja California, Mexico to a spot near Jacumba, California. Roughly .65 miles of the transmission line would be within the U.S. The terminus in Mexico was ESJ’s planned wind turbine facility, capable of generating 1,250 Megawatts (MW) of electricity (“ESJ Wind Project”). The end point in Jacumba was San Diego Gas & Electric’s planned ECO Substation, which would then be connected with the 500-kV Southwest Powerlink transmission line. The intended result of the Project was to allow electricity generated by the ESJ Wind Project to be delivered into the…