Supervisor Jim Desmond says he will fight the proposed Golden Pacific Powerlink, a major transmission project that would route new electrical infrastructure through East County and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, East County Magazine reported Monday.

The proposed project is described as a 145-mile, 500-kilovolt transmission line from the Imperial Valley through Anza-Borrego, Valley Center, Pauma, Rincon and Warner Springs before connecting near the former San Onofre site. Desmond said the plan could include steel lattice towers as tall as 200 feet and a broad right-of-way, while local ratepayers would be responsible for part of the cost.

Project supporters say Golden Pacific Powerlink would add capacity, reduce congestion and make the regional electric grid more resilient. East County Magazine also reported that the Anza-Borrego Foundation is organizing opposition to the route, citing concerns about parkland, views and fire danger.

For Santee residents, the issue is another reminder that backcountry power planning can shape costs and wildfire-risk policy across the region, even when the route does not run through city limits. The next thing to watch is whether state regulators, project sponsors and county officials offer more chances for East County communities to weigh in before decisions advance.