Power Plant Inconsistent With Coastal Act

by The Editors on May 8, 2009

In a City of Carlsbad press release the City says that the new NRG Power Plant proposed for land behind the Encina Power Station is “inconsistent with the coastal act.”

A 1990 Coastal Commission report concludes that a second power plant in coastal Carlsbad would harm the environment and is inconsistent with the Coastal Act. . . The report concluded that a power plant on the coastal Carlsbad site would have significant impacts on visual resources, marine biology and air quality. CEC staff evaluating the current power plant proposal were unaware of the Coastal Commission’s previous finding.

Then again, that was way, way back in 1990. Follow the jump for the rest of the release.Power Plant Site Inconsistent With Coastal Act
Coastal Commission report identifies significant impacts

CARLSBAD, Calif. – The NRG West power plant project proposed for coastal North County has suffered another setback with the discovery of a 1990 Coastal Commission report, which concludes that a second power plant in coastal Carlsbad would harm the environment and is inconsistent with the Coastal Act.

City of Carlsbad staff found the report while researching previous proposals for the power plant property. In an April 29 letter to the California Energy Commission, the city filed the Coastal Commission report and documented its applicability to the current power plant project.

The report concluded that a power plant on the coastal Carlsbad site would have significant impacts on visual resources, marine biology and air quality. CEC staff evaluating the current power plant proposal were unaware of the Coastal Commission’s previous finding.

The Commission’s opinion, along with recent information that the plant may infringe on the Interstate 5 widening project as well as have negative air quality impacts, further demonstrates the inappropriateness of the Encina site for a power plant.

The Coastal Commission report was prepared in response to a Notice of Intent filed by San Diego Gas & Electric in 1989 to construct a power plant in one of five locations, including the Encina site. SDG&E’s proposed location was immediately adjacent on the westward side to NRG’s proposed plant. The Coastal Commission has yet to provide its comments to the CEC on the proposed power plant.

The NRG project is a proposed 540-watt power plant. The project would be located at the 95-acre site of the existing Encina Power Station, which has been operating on California’s coastline for more than 50 years. Plans for the new power plant do not include tearing down the old power plant. If approved, two power plants will operate at the coastal location for the foreseeable future.

NRG submitted an Application for Certification to the CEC for the power plant in September 2007. The CEC—not the City of Carlsbad—has the authority to approve the project. A decision is expected later this year.

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