San Diego County supervisors are set to hear a presentation Aug. 18 on SDG&E’s proposed Golden Pacific Powerlink, a major high-voltage transmission project that has become a flashpoint for East County and backcountry communities.

According to East County Magazine, the item was placed on the Board of Supervisors agenda by District 5 Supervisor Jim Desmond and District 2 Supervisor Joel Anderson. The presentation is expected to come from the Anza-Borrego Foundation and Chaparral Lands Conservancy, two groups opposing the preliminary route.

The proposed 500-kilovolt line would run from SDG&E’s Imperial Valley Substation toward a new substation near the decommissioned San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. East County Magazine reported that the preliminary route would cross Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and other parts of San Diego and Riverside counties, with some structures estimated at 150 to 200 feet tall.

For Santee readers, the immediate issue is not a route through town, but the broader East County question: how much infrastructure burden inland and backcountry communities should carry for regional power reliability, wildfire planning and long-term grid needs. The source article also notes that CAISO’s transmission planning has projected San Diego County ratepayers would cover about 9 percent of costs, while SDG&E says project-specific transmission costs are still being developed.

The project remains a proposal, and the California Public Utilities Commission would ultimately evaluate routes and environmental impacts. SDG&E has scheduled in-person open houses later this month and in October, with stakeholder feedback open through early November, according to East County Magazine.