TRANS BAY CABLE PROJECT (4/28/07)

(4/28/07) The Trans Bay Cable Project has been in the works for a couple of years and I first heard of it at the Stakeholders Meetings that were held at 77 Beale Street - the Pacific Gas and Electric building in San Francisco. For some years now some of us residents of San Francisco have been concerned with Quality of Life issues - one of them is Energy. We have known since the 2000 Energy crisis about surplus power plants outside San Francisco and outside the 7 Regional Areas that have been demarcated for focused studies based on shared weather patterns. There is a concerted effort to address and bring about solutions based on the 7 Regional Areas and focused on weather patterns and energy supply. The major transmission suppliers are working on this. Here is San Francisco we have fought hard for the last 5 years to have the best transmission lines and fought very hard to put in place the Jefferson-Martin transmission line. But, it may come as a surprise that even though this brand new transmission line is in place and was fine tuned or tweaked - for some months now that transmission line has been down. Some may not know but we have a brand new transmission line from Potrero to Hunters Point. Other smaller transmission lines are being replaced all over the City and County of San Francisco. More needs to be done by Pacific Gas and Electricity. We are look forward to a brand new transmission line all the way from Canada. This project is being worked on and will become a reality if the parties and the constituents work together. We are in favor of solar, wind, wave and conservation of energy and replacing equipment and energy consuming bulbs and equipment to conserve energy. How ever these measure though necessary do not address the major issues of rolling black outs and power failure that are eminent during peak hours of consumption with greater measure. In recent days some areas in San Francisco have been without electricity for hours. On Thursday for over 3 hours many blocks from Silver Avenue down the many blocks towards Arleta had no electricity. On Friday areas along Ingalls Street by Candlestick did not have electricity for over 4 hours. There has been a heavy demand for electricity and we need better newer transmission lines to attain Quality of life issues. We do not need Combustion Turbines (CTs) placed in inner cities to generate some electricity and while doing that pollute. We must stay away from fossil fuel and impose the stricter Environmental Protect Agency mandates linked to the Clean Act which is a force to be reckoned today. The proposed CTs to generate some energy during peak hours are proposed to be placed close to the Bayview and these emit were toxic particulates - PM 2.5. The constituents will fight this issue and we will sue - if we are provoked. The Trans Bay Cable projects will bring in a state of the art transmission line and with it hopefully 400 Megawatts of much need energy. It is the only transmission line from the North - the others are all coming from the South. If we do have a Big One and the epicenter is South and close to the existing transmission lines - we stand a fairer chance to fall back on the transmission line from the North. Climate Change will demand more electricity when weather pattern favor electricity consumption. San Francisco has a moderate climate but recently we have experience very cold weather. We may also experience extremely hot weather - and the need for air conditioners that we do not use much of in San Francisco ­ now. Also this clean Trans Bay Cable transmission line and by clean I meant non-polluting will help maintain some quality of life standards especially dealing with the air quality in San Francisco and the Bay area. Vehicular traffic has increased and particulates are on the increase. We will need energy to recharge batteries and accommodate future vehicles using clean fuel. The Trans Bay Cable can gradually phase out the older portions of the Mirant power plant that now is in operation based on the California Independent Systems Operator model of Reliability Must Run (RMR). Mirant now get paid to run the old power plant that once belonged to Pacific Gas and Electricity. This City and County of San Francisco has been slow to have in place a SF City's Electricity Action Plan. We talk the talk but cannot walk the walk. We failed when San Francisco Public Utilities Commission let go Edward Smeloff and some other well educated experts. The Trans Bay Cable will contribute some $6.8 million to the SF Port Authority. $1.3 for rent and the rest to maintain the Port's open-space along the shoreline from Pier 70 all the way to Hunters Point. SF Public Utilities Commission will receive some $23.5 million. $3.5 million for sustainable energy programs. The rest to implement the SF City and County's Electricity Plan that has been lacking - too much talk and very little action because of lack of leadership from SFPUC and Susan Leal, Barbara Hale, and SF LAFCO. They have been pussyfooting around. There are some corrupt entities that are against the Trans Bay Cable for personal reasons. One has received $1.5 million grant from the Department of Environment and has used it for personal gain. There is a scathing report on this issue by the SF Controller Office. He uses the Potrero View to tarnish the Tran Bay Cable Project for all the wrong reasons. Another, who belongs to the Potrero Boosters applied to be an Intervener to get paid and acts also as a consultant and was instrumental in selecting the site to place the 3 CTs by Pier 80 originally meant to be placed by Dog Patch where the lying dog makes his abode. The fact of the matter is in a couple of years we will experience rolling black outs. Over 50,000 units are coming on line - thousands in the pipe line and all of them need electricity. Demand for electricity is on the increase. SF City Planning and other entities know about this real fact. The skyline of San Francisco is changing daily - 600 foot buildings are heading towards the sky and making their ugly appearance. These buildings need electricity. There is some argument made who will pay for this Trans Bay Cable? Well the rate payer will pay and pays for everything. But may I ask the crooks that say that - who makes it possible that some crooks can travel to India and Africa and may we get an account of the $1.5 million dollars - all tax payers' money? Also, why are these crooks permitted to lie and spread misinformation and disinformation? Who is monitoring conflict of interest? Why are some folks always targeting minorities and placing the worst possible pollutants in the Bayview that has already its share of pollutants. 2010 and before we will experience serious rolling black outs and we must address this situation on a war footing. The California Independent Systems Operator must put in place a system that assures steady and reliable energy flow. That is their responsibility. The majority of the Energy stakeholders favor the Trans Bay Cable Project and it has gone through some serious vetting and debate. The Trans Bay Cable is clean energy and I am against generation linked to fossil fuel anywhere in San Francisco. I have addressed Climate Change and Global Warming on this site much before it became popular. The same with steady, state of the art Transmission Lines. We still have to do a lot of work to curtail transmission loss - in some case as much as fifteen percent and more. When properly educated most people favor the Trans Bay Cable Project. I am not paid to say this and will speak the truth. Our SFPUC, LAFOC, Tom Ammiano, Ross Mirkarimi, Bevan Dufty, and Sophie Maxwell will learn about this soon - it was wrong of them to delay any process for 45 days. It makes no sense and the SF City and County had all the time for an Electricity Action Plan that they have been sitting on for the last 3 years.

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