Borrego Springs Fights Industrialization

The San Diego County Regional Decarbonization Framework (RDF) is a plan to reduce carbon emissions in San Diego County’s electricity production. However, there are concerns that the RDF’s Scenario 1, which proposes covering the small desert town of Borrego Springs with industrial-scale solar farms and transporting the electricity to the coast via new transmission lines, could industrialize the town cause economic and health consequences.

Borrego Springs residents have successfully fought against previous industrialization plans. They are now requesting a delay in the approval of the RDF until all relevant economic costs are included in the analysis.

This blog explores the impact of the RDF on Borrego Springs and the community’s efforts to protect its natural beauty.

Borrego Springs is a small desert town in San Diego County facing a potential threat from the San Diego County Regional Decarbonization Framework (RDF). The RDF proposes covering Borrego Springs with industrial-scale solar farms and transporting the electricity to the coast via new 500 kV transmission lines. While the RDF claims to consider multiple decarbonization scenarios, there are concerns that Scenario 1, which covers Borrego Springs with solar farms, is being promoted as the “low-cost option.”

Borregans Fought Off Sunrise Powerlink, Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan, and County Water Authority’s Regional Conveyance System:

Borrego Springs residents have been fighting against the industrialization of their town for years. They have successfully fought against Sunrise Powerlink, the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan, and the County Water Authority’s Regional Conveyance System. They are now fighting against the San Diego County Regional Decarbonization Framework (RDF).

RDF’s Scenario 1 Would Industrialize Borrego Springs:

The RDF’s Scenario 1, which proposes covering Borrego Springs with industrial-scale solar farms, would industrialize the town and potentially cause lost tourism revenue, decreased property values, decreased property taxes, lost hotel taxes, and increased health costs due to degraded air quality. This scenario is being promoted as the “low-cost option,” despite concerns that the calculations are incomplete and do not reflect the true costs of each decarbonization option.

The RDF Promotes Remote, Industrial-Scale Power Generation:

The RDF promotes remote, industrial-scale power generation and transmission lines, while dismissing rooftop and parking lot solar in coastal communities as insufficient. This approach is criticized for ignoring the potential of distributed, in-basin (rooftop) generation in coastal communities, which would not require new transmission lines.

Tubb Canyon Desert Conservancy and Protect Our Communities Foundation Request Delay in Approval:

The Tubb Canyon Desert Conservancy and the Protect Our Communities Foundation have requested a delay in the approval of the RDF until all relevant economic costs are included in the analysis. They argue that the current draft of the RDF only considers the costs of land acquisition and solar farm construction. It does not include the cost of building new transmission lines or the potential economic costs to Borrego Springs.

Protecting Borrego Springs: Urgent Call to Action for Community Members to Delay Approval of San Diego County’s Regional Decarbonization Framework

To protect Borrego Springs and its community, it is essential to delay the approval of the RDF until all the relevant economic costs are considered in the analysis. To ensure that the true costs of decarbonization are reflected in the RDF, residents are urged to contact Supervisor Desmond’s office and insist on a delay in the approval of the RDF. The best environmentally sound, low-cost option for decarbonizing San Diego’s grid may be building rooftop and parking lot solar in coastal communities.

Action List:

1. Call Supervisor Desmond’s office at 619-458-2600 and speak to Hunter McDonald.
2. Request a delay in the approval of the RDF until all relevant economic costs are considered.
3. Send an email to Hunter.McDonald@sdcounty.ca.gov.
4. Make your voice heard through email, phone, or in person.