Borrego Sun - Since 1949

San Diego County District 5 Supervisor Jim Desmond prepared to make residents happy by announcing his office has placed an item on the May 24, Board of Supervisors agenda to revisit the skewed information that downplayed roof top and parking lot Solar in favor of industrialized Solar plants in Borrego Springs at the Revitalization Meeting held at the Library on May 16.

Utility scale Solar farms in Borrego was a priority recommendation in the San Diego County’s Regional Decarbonization Framework (RDF) to move to renewable energies to reach a 2030 – 2045 state goal of zero carbons.

It was a meaningful response by Supervisor Desmond to the community’s objections to the RDF and its conclusions. Borregans rallied against the plan to protect Borrego from becoming a Solar wasteland with over 1,400 signatures on a “VOTE NO, Borrego Springs Will Not Be Sacrificed!” Change.org petition. There’s an unconfirmed rumor that his office received 500 emails and calls asking for a review of the RDF data and conclusions about which types of Solar power usage would best keep the power going in the region.

Supervisor Desmond’s request will be voted on by all four Supervisors. The language in agenda item #9 in the Land Use meeting calls for: “The Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to conduct a local analysis of existing residential, commercial and other infill renewable energy infrastructure throughout the region (with an emphasis on existing Solar) and provide a report inventorying existing conditions by supervisorial district. Approval of the item (Item #9) would also direct the CAO to perform an opportunity analysis identifying the remaining available rooftop, parking lot and other infill capacity for future renewables.

Read the full agenda for the Land Use May 24 Board of Supervisors Meeting. Look for agenda item #9 BOS Calendar Meetings (sandiegocounty.gov).

To support Supervisor Desmond, who has taken this action on behalf of Borrego Springs; and help solicit the votes necessary to approve the item, the Supervisor’s office advises people to call in to the meeting in support of item #9; and to say “that the contractor the County will hire to conduct this analysis and report must have ,“NO connection to utility companies in order to be unbiased and fair.”

Below is the page to sign up to call in to the meeting to speak in favor of Item #9 – don’t forget to scroll down to choose item #9; and mark that you are calling in favor of it; then click on submit:

Board of Supervisors Meeting Call-In Comments (sandiegocounty.gov)

In addition to calling in and attending the meeting virtually, a show of people is needed in person at the Wednesday, May 24 Board meeting, to let the board see how serious this subject is to the residents of Borrego Springs. The meeting starts a 9 a.m. and people should arrive at 8:30 at the County Administration Center to pull slips to speak in person on behalf of the item.