SAN DIEGO -- San Diego Gas & Electric will spend about $45,000 in the next month campaigning for a controversial proposal in the backcountry, it was reported Wednesday.

Billboards, radio spots, print and Internet ads in favor of the Sunrise Powerlink proposal are expected in the coming weeks throughout San Diego County, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

The Sunrise Powerlink is a proposal to build a 150-mile line to link solar and geothermal fields in the Imperial Valley to San Diego, and it will be formally discussed at public hearings beginning next week, the newspaper reported.

The Sunrise Powerlink proposal is set to go before the California Public Utilities Commission for final approval by late summer or early fall.

Opponents to the $1.5 billion proposal said it will hurt the environment and property values, but SDG&E officials said it is the best option to meet the region's future energy needs.