conquestkm - 4-20-2008 at 07:48 AM
LA JOLLA – Projects in water conservation and renewable energy will
be key to Baja California's development in the coming years, Gov.
José Guadalupe Osuna Millán said yesterday in a speech delivered at
the University of California San Diego.
The rise in violent crimes "is an important inhibitor" to
investment, Osuna said, but added that news reports exaggerated the
problem, especially in Tijuana. Osuna, who was sworn in as governor
in December, said that several foreign manufacturing companies have
increased their operations in the state. "We have a problem that we
recognize," the governor said at a news conference held after his
lecture. "Our plan is to restore the peace in this state."
Osuna, 52, spoke after the signing of an agreement for academic
collaboration between UCSD and the Tijuana-based think tank El
Colegio de la Frontera Norte. Under the accord, the two institutions
plan to exchange faculty and conduct joint seminars on topics such
as immigration and the economy.
The governor's lecture touched on a wide range of topics, including
aquaculture, education, climate change and major infrastructure
projects, such as a massive port planned south of Ensenada at Punta
Colonet, expected to go out to bid this year.
Osuna said ensuring a future water supply is a critical issue for
Baja California, which relies heavily on the Colorado River. "In
this sense, we have a lot in common with California," Osuna said.
To avert future shortages, the state is looking at a series of
measures, including desalination, water reuse and water-saving
technologies in the Mexicali Valley.
The governor said that Mexico and the United States are discussing
ways to decrease damage to the Mexicali Valley caused by the lining
of the All-American Canal in Imperial County, a U.S. water
conservation project that will prevent water from seeping across the
border into Mexico.
"The conversations are going in the direction of cooperation to
mitigate the effects," Osuna said. Among the measures being
discussed are storage of Mexico's allotment of Colorado River water
in U.S. dams and investing jointly in new technologies to increase
the efficiency of water delivery in Mexicali.
Osuna said renewable-energy projects relying on water, wind and
solar energy are in the planning stages. The state's energy plan
calls for a hydroelectric plant at Carrizo Dam outside Tijuana, as
well as a wind energy project in La Rumorosa, a plateau between
Tecate and Mexicali.
President Felipe Calderón is expected to announce a solar energy
project for Baja California soon, Osuna said.
Osuna is a former economics professor and Tijuana mayor. He also
served a term as a federal congressman, and previously worked for
the state as a planner in water issues.