Amended Carlsbad power plant given OK

By Ellen Wright CARLSBAD —

The California Public Utilities Commission approved a gas-powered peaker style power plant last Thursday to replace the power lost after the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station shut down in 2013.

The peaker plant, which operates during peak times of demand, will also replace the Encina Power Station, which is set to go off line in 2017.

The Carlsbad Energy Center, as it’s called, will produce 500 megawatts of energy.

The plant has drawn criticism from environmentalists who argue the commission is rushing to a decision without properly exploring cleaner alternatives.

“This decision is just more of the same from the CPUC,” said Matt Vespa with The Sierra Club. “By allowing this gas plant to be built, we are stifling San Diego’s clean energy potential, job growth, and ambitious efforts to reduce pollution that exacerbates health issues and climate change.”

The commission approved the Purchase Power Tolling agreement between SDG&E and the power plant operator, NRG Energy 4-1.

“We appreciate the CPUC’s vote of confidence that the Carlsbad Energy Center is the best approach to have the appropriate, flexible capacity online by 2017 to enable California to reach its greenhouse gas reduction goals through building additional renewable generation while preserving the reliability of the grid,” said John Chillemi, president of NRG Energy’s West region.

NRG will be responsible for demolishing the En-

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