CHULA VISTA, Calif. -- Many South Bay residents say they are tired of the old, ugly and useless South Bay Power Plant.

So, elected officials in the South Bay have endorsed the Sunrise Powerlink -- a controversial power line spanning the East County.

"Well, I don't think it's a very sightly structure and I think it's way outdated," Jim Janney, mayor of Imperial Beach.

Chula Vista Mayor Cheryl Cox said, "It's time for this power plant to come down."

There is so little love for the 50-year-old South Bay Power Plant that mayors from three nearby cities are supporting the Sunrise Powerlink.

"Chula Vista's all about focusing on renewable energy and lessening our dependence on fossil fuels," said Cox.

The Powerlink is a long series of power lines across the East County that would deliver renewable energy to San Diego. If it is built, Chula Vista could say goodbye to the power plant.

"It is going to ruin San Diego from the desert to the sea," said one South Bay resident.

Some said the Powerlink would hurt the environment and ruin views in the East County. Others ask why it is OK for Chula Vista to get rid of one eyesore and the East County to be burdened with another.

Another resident said, "It's the first time that a California State Park would be open to a high-voltage transmission line."

"They've got power lines coming into their house also, and unless they want to put a treadmill and start producing their own energy, this has got to be for all of us," said National City Mayor Ron Morrison.

Morrison said it is not only about location, it is about the source of energy. He said the best place to generate solar and wind power is in the desert.

"We've got to have a Powerlink from the East County coming in to San Diego. Otherwise, how many power plants do we want to build here?" said Morrison.

The Powerlink project also helps Chula Vista's bayfront redevelopment, officials said. The city is hoping to land a billion-dollar hotel and convention center that could jump start the city's sagging economy.

"And in a 22- or 23-story hotel, the South Bay Power Plant would be the view," said Cox.

SANDAG will decide whether to support the Powerlink this Friday in a meeting that will more than likely include people on both sides of the debate.