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The Santa Margarita Group of the Sierra Club would like to make you aware of a potential threat to Lake Elsinore’s namesake attraction and thriving eco-system, the lake itself. An activist group from Lake Elsinore will hold an open meeting in opposition to the project on February 26, 2018, at 7 pm, in the VFW Hall in Wildomar.
Sierra Club member and spokesperson for “Save Our Lake,” Linda Ridenour writes, “Now it is our turn to weigh in with the authorities on the madness of changing our lake into a pumped storage project for the benefit of a few entrepreneurs who would turn our lake into a muddy pond to benefit San Diego’s electric energy needs. The City, the Water District, several homeowner groups have all responded to the threat, and now it is our turn to speak up and demand our rights.”
Questions regarding the meeting should be directed to Pete Dawson at (951) 202-1584.
The following excerpts from reporter Michael Williams description of the project are taken from the August 25, 2017, issue of the Press-Enterprise:
The Vista-based firm Nevada Hydro recently submitted a Notice of Intent to File (a) License Application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on behalf of its Lake Elsinore Advanced Pumped Storage project, popularly known as LEAPS.
Nevada Hydro’s plan calls for construction of a reservoir atop the mountains west of Lake Elsinore and an underground power plant with turbines on the lake’s western edge. Water from the reservoir would be released downhill to the lake to turn the turbines, generating up to 500 megawatts during peak demand for electricity, which would be conveyed over power lines to Southern California Edison’s and San Diego Gas & Electric’s systems. Water would be pumped from the lake up to the reservoir at night when electrical costs are cheaper. The project surfaced in the late 1980s and finally reached the commission for a decision in July 2011. The commissioners dismissed the application but allowed the proponents to reapply.
The complete article can be found at:
https://www.pe.com/2017/08/25/dormant-lake-elsinore-electricity-project-powered-up-again/
An update to this information can be found at https://www.pe.com/2018/01/13/revived-lake-elsinore-hydroelectric-project-renews-fears-over-popular-lakes-future/
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