The California Energy Commission voted against the construction of the Eastshore Energy Center, a proposed 115 MW plant that would have sat near the Hayward airport. During its October 8 meeting, commissioners cited proximity to the airport and possible conflicts with aircraft passing overhead in their decision. The vote not to approve was unanimous, with commissioner James Boyd absent. “Approving or rejecting power plants is something we take very seriously,” commission chair Jackie Pfannenstiel said. “In this case,” she said “it seems that with all the efforts in the world, we were not able to mitigate all the impacts.” The applicant had argued for more time to study the potential impacts, but the request was denied. In another action taken during this week’s meeting, the commission adopted an order launching a proceeding to address greenhouse gas emissions in power plant licensing cases. Commissioner Karen Douglas applauded the action. “I think it’s very important at this juncture that we take a step back and evaluate how we look at greenhouse gases.” Under the investigation, the Energy Commission will seek comment from stakeholders on how to meets its responsibilities under the California Energy Quality Act regarding the assessment of greenhouse gas emission impacts of proposed new facilities. A siting committee plans to bring recommendations to the full commission on how its obligations should be handled. The committee also will seek written comment and conduct at least one public hearing to allow stakeholders opportunity to give their views, recommendations and other information. “I think this is just the very beginning of our work on this issue,” Douglas said. Commissioner Jeff Byron said that the process should begin by the end of October. Also during the meeting, the commission unanimously approved three power generating projects. The first was the Stirling Energy Systems Solar Two project, a 750-MW solar dish project planned for a 6,500-acre site in Imperial County. The project has been plagued by obstacles. The second approval was for the Willow Pass project, a 550-MW natural gas facility proposed on a 26-acre site in the City of Pittsburg. The Palmdale Hybrid project, a proposed 617 MW combined-cycle plant in Los Angeles County, was the third proposal approved. It is partially made up of 250 acres of parabolic trough solar collectors expected to contribute up to 50 MW. Additionally during Wednesday’s meeting, the commission formally accepted termination proceedings for the Chevron Richmond Power Plant Replacement Project. Chevron Richmond filed a notice withdrawing its application for the 60 MW project on September 10.
