Day five was an abbreviated day -- ending early so that out-of-town participants can get home by Friday evening to their families. But even though it was short, it was not sweet for SDG&E. UCAN challenged SDG&E's proposed costs for Sunrise as well as SDG&E's inflated claim that UCAN's alternative would impose a $102 million cost. SDG&E's witness wasn't prepared to answer UCAN's questions.....even though we'd asked them for the same information in writing. The judge overruled SDG&E's objections and ordered SDG&E to prepare an itemized basis for its claimed costs by Monday AM. The PUC staff bored into SDG&E's seeming willingness to accept the $1.3 billion price tag for the line as a "cap" or maximum figure for the line. This offer came from VP Jim Avery during questioning by the judge. But just two days later, SDG&E's witness Yari denied that SDG&E had made such an agreement. So that offer appears to be "off of the table" for now.

More information about the "true" costs of the project should be forthcoming on Monday. In the meanwhile, a group of us will be working this weekend preparing for next weekend. For the rest of you, who won't be working, enjoy your glorious weekend in San Diego and every once in a while send a bit of sunshine our way.......in your thoughts.

-Michael

Listen to Michael Shames discuss the Sunrise powerline.

Watch cross-examination from the hearings.