The majority of the morning involved the cross-examination of James Avery by UCAN, (watch the video of Avery's cross-examination) the Center for Biological Resources (CBD) and the ALJ. UCAN went through public handouts used by SDG&E to promote Sunrise and had Mr. Avery including many of the essential elements that SDG&E either left out or misrepresented. We also pinned down Avery on SDG&E's pledge to use Sunrise for renewables. He repeatedly declined to commit to using the line fully (or almost fully) for renewables. But he admitted that SDG&E could do so -- he just didn't want to make that commitment. And he admitted that even though SDG&E claims it relied upon public input to locate its line, no one in the public had sought that the line be built through Anza Borrego.

Scott Siegel, an attorney representing the Sierra Club and CBD, asked Avery whether the utility would press state regulators to restrict the power carried by Sunrise to green energy only. Avery said that was not the utility's role.He responded that SDG&E never conducted a study of the potential within San Diego County for renewable energy projects Instead of its own study, Avery said SDG&E has assessed the potential for renewables in San Diego County from the responses it has received to multiple requests for green energy projects.

The ALJ spent almost an hour of the morning focusing on the process by which SDG&E went about seeking public input. He also explored the notion of an alternative route going parallel to the existing SWPL and bypassing, entirely, the Anza Borrego State Park. Avery admitted it was feasible, but SDG&E preferred its planned route because it gave the company more flexibility, including enlarging the line........what he didn't say but which UCAN has demonstrated in its testimony is that SDG&E also wants to be able to extend the line into the SCE territory.

The afternoon involved UCAN's cross-examination of transmission planning director Linda Brown. She spent most of the afternoon stating that she didn't know the details behind much of her testimony about the costs associated with UCAN's alternative proposal to Sunrise. More tomorrow.

-Michael