East County Magazine
HELIX WATER UNVEILS NEW CLEAN ENERGY SOURCE IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY
Printer-friendly version District Partners with Borrego Solar and CCSE to deploy 290 Kw solar system at Nat L. Eggert Operations Center April 4, 2011 (El Cajon)–Helix Water District has activated a 290 kilowatt (KW) solar photovoltaic (PV) system at the Nat L. Eggert Operations Center (OC) in El Cajon. The zero-emission system was deployed through a partnership with Borrego
FREE TRAINING IN GREEN BUILDING AND SUSTAINABLE ENERGY PRACTICES
Printer-friendly version March 29, 2011 (Rancho San Diego) – Cuyamaca College will again provide free classes and hands-on work experience in green building and sustainable energy to eligible students through a training program funded by San Diego Workforce Partnership. The $1.6 million in funding comes from federal stimulus money along with grants from the State Energy Program, Workforce Investment Act,
SPRING GARDEN FESTIVAL BLOSSOMS APRIL 9 AT CUYAMACA COLLEGE
Printer-friendly version March 26, 2011 (Rancho San Diego) – Celebrate spring on Saturday, April 9 at the Spring Garden Festival, one of East County’s biggest annual events. Held at Cuyamaca College from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the festival features live music and international foods as well as expert garden design advice, horticulture demonstrations, a plant sale, water smart
SDG&E SIGNS SOLAR CONTRACT WITH TENASKA
Printer-friendly version New solar factory in San Diego to create 450 local jobs and additional 1,000 indirect jobs March 23, 2011 (San Diego) San Diego Gas & Electric has announced a 25-year contract for up to 150 megawatts of solar energy to be generated at the Imperial Solar Energy Center West’s proposed 1,057-acre solar energy facility near El Centro. In addition,
NEW SOLAR PANELS POWER UP HELIX WATER’S OPERATIONS CENTER
Printer-friendly version March 17, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – A solar project installed at the Operations Center for Helix Water District has been fully certified by SDG&E and begins producing energy starting today, with an official ribbon cutting ceremony planned for March 30th. "This solar project is a great benefit for Helix using clean, renewable natural resources,” said
SEMPRA GENERATION PLANT NAMED “SOLAR PROJECT OF THE YEAR” BY RENEWABLE ENERGY WORLD
Printer-friendly version March 9, 2011 (San Diego) – San Diego-based Sempra Generation’s Copper Mountain Solar project, currently the largest photovoltaic solar plant in the U.S., has been awarded “Solar Project of the Year” by Renewable Energy World as part of the 2011 Excellence in Renewable Energy Awards. The award was announced at the Renewable Energy World Conference and Expo currently
POWERLINK TRIAL STARTS IN SAN DIEGO: OPPONENTS PLAN MARCH FROM SDG&E HEADQUARTERS TO COURTHOUSE MARCH 7
Printer-friendly version March 3, 2011 (San Diego) – “Not a done deal. We are in court,” reads a flyer published by opponents of the Sunrise Powerlink project urging the public to join a march to the federal courthouse downtown, where the first federal lawsuit against the high-voltage line will be heard on March 7th. The "Stop Powerlink" march will begin
SANTREE FEST: EARLY EARTH DAY CELEBRATION MARCH 5
Printer-friendly version March 3, 2011 (Santee) — Grab your gardening gloves and head on out to the SanTree Fest, a fun family event in Santee. Guests can volunteer to help plant over 50 trees or assist with river cleanup, enjoy live musical entertainment, sample healthy foods, enjoy kid crafts, and visit interactive environmental booths. On our visit last year, some booths
MARCH PLANT MADNESS KEEPS GARDENERS SANE, SAYS WATER CONSERVATION GARDEN
Printer-friendly version Plant sale March 5 February 25, 2011 (Rancho San Diego)–The Water Conservation Garden helps gardeners ease into spring planting season each Saturday in March by offering expert presentations and specialized plant sales. From 9-10 a.m. each Saturday this month, experts will offer hour-long seminars which highlight a particular plant species, followed by a plant sale from
CLEANTECH SAN DIEGO LAUNCHES MENTORING PROGRAM WITH THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Printer-friendly versionFebruary 16, 2011 (San Diego) — In an effort led by the Small Business Administration and Department of Energy, CleanTECH San Diego has been selected as an accelerating organization of the Entrepreneurial Mentor Corps (EMC), a collaborative among the Clean Energy Trust of Chicago, Nevada Institute for Renewable Energy Commercialization of Incline Village, Nevada, and the Clean Tech Open
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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting — not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine’s local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.
La Mesa hosting Home Energy Fair in March
East County News Service February 5, 2026 (La Mesa) — With San Diego County residents navigating some of the highest utility rates in the nation,…
Navy officials meet with Warner Springs community to address PFAS in water
Printer-friendly versionBy Karen Pearlman with additional reporting by Miriam Raftery Jan. 14, 2026 (Warner Springs) — Dozens of local residents and business owners visited the CAL Fire Station in Warner Springs on Jan. 12 to glean information from the United States Navy and several other federal groups as well as state and county water agencies about PFAS and their impact
“Forever chemical” crisis seeps into Southern California: from Sweetwater Reservoir to Orange County, districts grapple with how to protect drinking water supplies
Printer-friendly versionPhoto: PFAS have been detected in Sweetwater Reservoir, via Sweetwater Water Authority By Karen Pearlman Jan. 8, 2025 (San Diego County) — “Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink” goes the line from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s 1798 poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, describing sailors surrounded by undrinkable ocean water. That old phrase also fits today. Obtaining clean,
Reader’s Editorial: Venezuela could yield more profits from ecotourism than from oil
Printer-friendly version By Renee Owens, wildlife biologist Photo by Renee Owens: capybaras and sunset in Venezuela’s llanos January 7, 2026 (San Diego’s East County) — Having lived and worked in Venezuela, I can no longer remain silent amidst all the clueless rhetoric. Venezuela is more than a cliché of dictators and oil. It is a wondrous place and a cautionary tale
The Water Conservation Garden gears up for a blooming 2026
Printer-friendly version Photo of a buttefly at the Dorcas E. Utter Butterfly Pavilion at The Water Conservation Garden and story by Karen Pearlman Jan. 3, 2025 (Rancho San Diego) — The Water Conservation Garden, the 6-acre botanical showcase of sustainable landscaping and water-wise gardening adjacent to Cuyamaca College, has rooted out its slate of events for Winter and Spring 2026. The schedule includes educational opportunities,
PFAS “forever chemicals” found in Warner Springs groundwater: Navy to host open house January 12 and provide testing of wells at nearby properties
Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery Updated Dec. 31 with comments from the Warner Spring Community Sponsor Group chair and a local winery representative, plus a statement from the Vista Irrigation District. December 27, 2025 (Warner Springs) — The U.S. Navy has announced that PFAS, known as “forever chemicals” have been detected in groundwater in Warner Springs. The contamination is believed to be linked to a
County share: Sustainability hacks during the holiday season
Printer-friendly versionSustainable gifts are always in. Photo from Pexels.com East County News Service Dec. 10, 2025 (San Diego County) — Going green and being sustainable poses some challenges, and can be especially difficult to navigate during the holiday season. Gving and receiving gifts and packages of all makes and models — and most come with wrapping of all types —
Loveland Reservoir water transfer at 21% but coming to an end, SWA says
Printer-friendly versionPhoto of Loveland Reservoir by Ostan Patton By Karen Pearlman Dec. 9, 2025 (Alpine) – Sweetwater Authority’s plan to leave Loveland Reservoir with at least 25 percent of its water capacity during the most recent transfer of water into the Sweetwater Reservoir has not gone as originally planned, as shared with East County Magazine on Dec. 5. Sweetwater Authority (SWA), the
East County AWP construction boosts cost, but officials say recycled water supply is worth the price
Printer-friendly versionBy Mike Allen Photo: Education Center at AWP plant December 5, 2025 (Santee) — Three years into construction, the massive East County Advanced Water Purification Program is approaching the finish line late next year when the region’s sewage now being treated at Point Loma will be pumped to a new Santee plant and converted to drinkable, purified water.
Loveland Reservoir draining underway brings pushback from East County residents
Printer-friendly version Loveland Reservoir showing what is left of the public fishing zone. Photo by Ostan Patton By Karen Pearlman Dec. 5, 2025 (Alpine) – It’s been three years since Loveland Reservoir was drained by Sweetwater Authority to “deadpool” level for the first time ever, leaving the area susceptible to environmental challenges, killing fish and increasing fire hazards. Now another extreme draining is underway by Sweetwater
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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting — not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine’s local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.