AES still not powered up

Bryce Alderton

AES Corp. and Huntington Beach are continuing settlement talks over

the plant’s planned powering up of two generators, leading up to a

scheduled Aug. 14 hearing before the South Coast Air Quality Management

District.

Both the city and AES have appealed a district permit allowing the

generators to be restarted because it requires the company to see at

least half the power within California.

Bill Workman, assistant city administrator for Huntington Beach, said

city officials are concerned about the effect of the plant on Huntington

Beach’s air quality.

“The main goal is protecting the people and the environment,” Workman

said. “The permit’s focus didn’t comply with the regulations for the sale

of electricity in California.”

The city’s appeal concerns emission increases, the lack of a contract

with the state, sulfur content in natural gas burned at the facility and

the amount of time each boiler is in use.AES officials, for their part,

complain in their appeal that the “provision limits AES’ ability to sell

electricity into other states . . . further, the condition would intrude

on the executive jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

to regulate interstate transport of electricity.”

AES Site Manager Ed Blackford said AES simply isn’t in a position to

sign a contract with the California Department of Water Resources, or

even vice versa.

The appeal also points out that “the [department] has determined it

will no longer be seeking to enter into a long-term contract.”

The California Energy Commission approved the AES project on May 10.

According to the commission’s approval, it found that AES “offers an

environmentally friendly means of providing much needed generation in

Southern California.”

The project will be a 450-megawatt, natural-gas-fired boiler retooling

at the existing Huntington Beach generating station, which is on 12 acres

at 21730 Newland St. The previous system used steam turbine generators.

Without the delay, the first generator was supposed to have gone

online Tuesday.

To comply with air pollution standards and address California’s

lingering energy crisis, the district allowed AES to buy air pollution

credits from the district’s “Priority Reserve Account,” which usually

only sells credits to public agencies.

Sam Atwood, a spokesman for the district, said it allowed AES access

to the account provided “AES provides the best available air pollution

control technologies.”

“AES, along with any new or expanding power plant, [is allowed] to

purchase credits to address the power crisis and bring new generators

online. It’s difficult obtaining credits on the open market,” Atwood

said.

AES needed the credits because the emissions from the plant wouldn’t

meet air quality standards.

That deal is what has city officials concerned, Workman said.

“The reserve is usually for city and county emergencies. AES applied

for the credits prior to having a contract with the state,” Workman said.

FYI BOX

The AES hearing is set for 9 a.m. Aug. 14 at Air Quality Management

District headquarters in Diamond Bar.