Award-winning nonprofit media in the public interest, serving San Diego's inland region

Award-winning nonprofit media in the public interest, serving San Diego's inland region

STATE REGULATORS APPROVE SDG&E SOLAR POWER INITIATIVE

Printer-friendly version   September 3, 2010 (San Diego) – This week, the California Public Utilities Comission approved a San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) solar power initiative that will provide for 100 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaic (PV) solar energy. Under the initiative, 26 MW of utility-owned generation would be slated for construction on existing SDG&E property, with the remaining 74

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RAINY DAY SAVINGS: HALF-PRICE RAIN BARRELS FOR COUNTY RESIDENTS SAT. AUG. 28

Printer-friendly version August 25, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – Want to save water–and reduce your bill? Residents of San Diego’s unincorporated areas can pick up rain barrel systems for half-price ($30.35 + tax) this Saturday morning. The system is designed to connect to a roof downspout and gutters.  Residents who don’t qualify for the subsidy can buy a rain

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HOT TIPS FOR COOL CROPS: GET GROWING ON YOUR FALL GARDEN

Printer-friendly version   By Joan Casanova, for Bonnie Plants   August 11, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) — You might think the end of summer means bidding farewell to fresh, homegrown veggies. Not so – many cool-season crops hit their heyday as autumn temperatures drop, and some even taste better when nipped by a light frost.   As long as

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WATER-WISE PLANTS FOR THE SOUTHWEST: A WISE ADDITION FOR YOUR BOOKSHELF

Printer-friendly version    Review by Miriam Raftery   July 17, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – Thirsty for ideas to use less water yet still have attractive landscaping?   Water-Wise Plants for the Southwest (Cool Springs Press, 2010) offers a wealth of practical solutions ideal for homeowners in San Diego County, where drought, cutbacks in water supplies and rising water

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ATTORNEY GENERAL BROWN SUES FANNIE MAE & FREDDIE MAC FOR BLOCKING PACE PROGRAMS FOR SOLAR FINANCING & ENERGY UPGRADES

Printer-friendly version   “I believe that the PACE program is critical to stimulating our local and statewide economy. I’m glad to see this lawsuit filed so that this novel program can continue.” –San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, joining Brown at today’s press conference in San Diego   July 14, 2010 (San Diego) – California Attorney General Edmund G. “Jerry” Brown today filed

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5 MILLLION GREEN JOBS FOR CALIFORNIA: JERRY BROWN RELEASES DETAILED CLEAN ENERGY PLAN TO REVIVE ECONOMY

Printer-friendly version June 18, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) –  In the hotly contested Governor’s race, last week Republican Meg Whitman refused to debate Democrat Jerry Brown, challenging Brown to release a plan to improve California’s economy. Now Brown, former Governor and current Attorney General, has responded by releasing a detailed eight-point action plan for investment in renewable energy technology and creation of over half

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GLOWING REVIEWS FOR SAN DIEGO’S SOLAR ENERGY POTENTIAL TO BE SEEN JUNE 19 AT SOLARDAY

Printer-friendly version    By Rachel Mahoney   June 17, 2010 (San Diego) – Southern California’s use of solar energy is the third highest in the world–and East County has the “ideal climate for solar,” said Ross Williams, manager of operations at Home Energy Systems (HES), one of two local companies participating in SolarDay 2010 this Saturday, June 19, at Balboa Park. Sponsored by

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SLOW P.A.C.E. OF SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Printer-friendly versionBy Michael Russell http://SDsustainableFuture.com June 14, 2010 (San Diego)–At a recent Home Energy Professionals meeting at the California Center for Sustainable Energy (http://energycenter.org) PACE Program Manager, Jeremy Hutman, enlightened a group of Energy Efficiency Auditors about new developments in the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs in San Diego. PACE Programs, in general, are a clever way to finance

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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.

LEARN TO GO GREEN AT CUYAMACA COLLEGE ON MARCH 7

Printer-friendly versionBy Pari Sanati Before & After March 1, 2009 (San Diego)— For many of us, recycling and watching energy and water consumption are now regular practices, far from the days when all these were new and perhaps daunting concepts. As the world makes the inevitable "greening" shift, environmentally conscious home and business owners are looking for new and interesting

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WATER SAVING REBATES AND CONSERVATION TIPS TO WEATHER THE CRISIS

Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery February 27, 2009 (San Diego’s East County)–Area residents must cut water consumption by at least 20% or face stiff financial penalties, local water authorities warn following a state declaration of emergency today due to the drought. Fortunately, there is help for consumers seeking ways to reduce their water usage. “Sixty to 70 percent of water use

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WATER CONSERVATION GARDEN LAUNCHES WATER-WISE GARDENING PHONE HELP LINE STARTING MARCH 3: “THE WATER SMART PIPELINE”

Printer-friendly versionMarch 1, 2009 (Rancho San Diego)–"How can I get rid of my grass?" "What low water groundcover withstands foot traffic?" Can I have color in my garden without using much water?"   These questions and more are frequently asked by San Diegans looking to install water smart landscapes. To help answer people’s concerns about how to garden in these

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DON QUIXOTE BATTLES WINDMILLS – AND SO DO THE FOLKS IN BOULEVARD

Printer-friendly version (photo courtesy of AWEA) Part III of a three-part series:   HEALTH, SAFETY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF WIND FARMS  February 22, 2009 (Boulevard) — Our country has jumped on a high-speed wind-energy bandwagon, as if the costs of developing and producing wind energy are as invisible as the wind itself. Are benefits commensurate with the costs? Can developers mitigate

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HOLLINGSWORTH SEEKS REPEAL OF WATER RESTRICTIONS THAT PROTECT DELTA SMELT–BUT ACTION WOULD THREATEN MARINE LIFE INCLUDING KILLER WHALES, A NEW REPORT FINDS

Printer-friendly versionStory and photo by Miriam Raftery February 24, 2009 (San Diego)–State Senator Dennis Hollingsworth, who represents East County, has joined 27 other Republicans in signing a letter to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, urging him to call upon the President and the Secretary of the Interior to convene the Endangered Species Committee, which the GOP has dubbed the “God Squad.” The

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DON QUIXOTE BATTLES WINDMILLS — AND SO DO THE FOLKS IN BOULEVARD

Printer-friendly versionPART II in a three-part series:  WHY BOULEVARD? By Gayle Early Pristine vale in McCain Valley slated for transmission lines, including Sunrise PowerLink. (photo by Gayle Early) February 16, 2009 (Boulevard) — Iberdrola Renewables and other parties have had their fingers in the wind, testing for the past three years and more. “If you link the windy areas in

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FILNER SEEKS TO AMEND CLEAN WATER ACT: REQUIRE DOD COMPLIANCE WITH EXISTING ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS

Printer-friendly versionFebruary 9, 2009 (San Diego) — Congressman Bob Filner introduced the Military Environmental Responsibility Act, H.R. 672, which would require the Department of Defense (DOD) to fully comply with Federal and State environmental laws. “Military exemptions from environmental requirements harm human health by polluting our water, air, and soil. Communities around military bases should be protected equally from harmful

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DON QUIXOTE FIGHTS THE WINDMILLS—AND SO DO THE FOLKS IN BOULEVARD

Printer-friendly versionby Gayle Early (photo by Miriam Raftery) February 10, 2009 (Campo)–Editor’s Note: Should wind turbines hundreds of feet tall –higher than the existing Kumeyaay wind farm turbines—be allowed in the rural McCain Valley/Boulevard region in East County? Does the nation’s critical need for “green” energy outweigh the concerns of residents seeking to preserve the rural character of their backcountry

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FEB. 25 HEARING ON WIND TURBINES & WIND TESTING

Printer-friendly versionFebruary 2009 (San Diego)–The County Board of Supervisors will deliberate February 25 whether to ease permitting requirements for installing industrial-scale meteorological testing units (MET towers) on private and county properties. The county is also debating the turbine ordinance to allow for more options, such as industrial-scale turbines on private property or more than one turbine per lot, including the

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2 FEDERAL AGENCIES APPROVE POWERLINK; SCHWARZENEGGER ASKS U.S. FOREST SERVICE TO EXPEDITE OK TO BUILD POWERLINK THROUGH CLEVELAND NATIONAL FOREST

Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery January 24, 2009 (San Diego’s East County)–In the last days of the Bush administration, two federal agencies gave a parting gift to Sempra Energy. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission designated a vast swath of San Diego’s East County as a federal energy corridor, paving the way for the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to approve

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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.