Coyote Creek Electric Development Concern

Coyote Creek is in the news again. There’s a proposal for a new electrical facility by LS Power, aimed at strengthening the region’s electrical grid but it’s raising some serious concerns from environmental advocates. Which is a familiar case in the Coyote Creek area. 

The proposed site for this facility is near Coyote Creek, just south of San Jose. The construction would involve building a terminal for a transmission line that connects to a PG&E substation, and it could pose some risks to both local wildlife and the surrounding environment. The area is home to sensitive species, like bobcats, coyotes, and deer, and there are ongoing efforts to create safer road crossings for wildlife in this exact region. Environmental groups are worried about potentially harming local wildlife.

Additionally, the site is in close proximity to a high-fire threat zone, which has raised alarms about the potential for fire risks in an already vulnerable area. There's also concern about the increased costs associated with the facility, especially since LS Power initially sought to build the terminal on existing PG&E property at the Metcalf substation, which would have been less environmentally impactful.

While this project is part of a larger initiative to improve grid reliability, which is needed of course (the power actually went out in my house a couple days ago lol), it’s important to keep an eye on how it might affect our community and the environment. Local groups like the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority are advocating for the terminal to be built on the Metcalf site instead, to minimize costs and environmental harm.

Development in Santa Clara County is never an easy path.  As always, both sides probably will bend a little bit to push the proposal through.