Beginning July 14, every Temecula City Council meeting will carry the proposed SDG&E Powerlink Temecula project on its agenda for updates and public comment, the City of Temecula announced on Instagram on June 9. For residents opposed to 500-kV towers cutting through SR 79, Temecula Parkway, Temecula Creek, and the Santa Margarita River, that means a standing, recurring slot to put concerns on the record.
What residents need to know:
- Recurring item: the Powerlink lands on every Council agenda starting July 14.
- Where: City Council meets the second and fourth Tuesday of each month.
- To comment: arrive early to fill out a speaker slip.
- Official info: the City's dedicated page at TemeculaCA.gov/Powerlink.
- Route at issue: SR 79, Temecula Parkway, Temecula Creek, Santa Margarita River.
Powerlink on Every Agenda Starting July 14
This is the right move by the City, and an unusually concrete one. The Temecula City Council is a five-member, non-partisan body elected by district that meets twice a month on the second and fourth Tuesday, which is the schedule the recurring Powerlink item will appear under starting July 14. The City also launched a webpage it says will carry "the most up to date and factual information," a useful counterweight when a project this large generates this much noise. If you want your opposition counted, showing up is no longer guesswork: there's a date and a slot.
The Project and the Opposition So Far
The City's official notice describes the Golden Pacific Powerlink as 140 miles of 500-kV high voltage transmission lines and tower structures routed through Temecula at SR 79, Temecula Parkway, Temecula Creek, and the Santa Margarita River. The pushback is already loud. Visit Temecula Valley and the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association issued a joint statement opposing the route, citing damage to regional tourism and Temecula wine country. And CBS Los Angeles reported that hundreds of community members and city leaders packed the May 26 council meeting in opposition. The next chance to add your name to that record is July 14.
