Sunrise, sunset for San Diego power lines?

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The California Energy Commission today delayed a final decision on the controversial Sunrise Powerlink tranmission line until November.

The 150-mile route preferred by San Diego Gas and Electric Co. would slice through Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and possibly the Cleveland National Forest, among other choice spots, angering the Sierra Club, the Center for Biological Diversity and other groups. They cheered Friday’s news.

SDG&E says the tranmission line is critical to bring cleaner energy to its customers and denies charges from environmentalists that the route it selected would allow the utility to ship power from Sempra’s liquified natural gas plant in Mexico. The commission ordered the California Independent System Operator (Cal-ISO), which oversees the state’s power grid, to go back and and fill in gaps in data it provided about the project.

-- Janet Wilson