The wildfires that ripped through San Diego last fall demonstrated the importance of having reliable, in-basin electricity generation. When numerous transmission lines throughout the region were taken out of service, the Encina Power Station in Carlsbad, along with other local plants, stepped up to fill the electrical power void.
NRG West, the operators of the Encina Power Station, recently submitted plans to the California Energy Commission to build the Carlsbad Energy Center Project. This lower profile, state-of-the-art, air-cooled power plant would be located on the eastern side of the existing Encina Power Station site and utilize the existing infrastructure.
Electricity reliability is just one of the benefits of the proposed Carlsbad Energy Center. The project also would generate electricity more efficiently, using less fuel and creating fewer air emissions.
The new technology means the energy center will have a smaller carbon footprint than traditional power plants and will use an air cooling system that will ultimately protect marine life, rather than older, ocean water cooling systems. This unique combination of proven technology and a lower carbon footprint is expected to be one of the first applications of its kind in the United States.
“NRG's proposal eliminated the need to withdraw cooling water from Agua Hedionda Lagoon and the associated destruction of marine life. This project proposal is a win-win for advancing higher efficiency power generation and protecting our precious marine environment,” said Joe Geever, California Policy Coordinator for the Surfrider Foundation.
The project proposes to replace three of the five existing generating units at the Encina Power Station with more efficient, natural gas-fueled and lower profile units. These state-of-the-art units produce significantly lower emissions and burn 30 percent less natural gas.
As an added benefit, these units have the capability to be online in 10 minutes versus several hours, providing support for renewable power generation. This proposal helps the city of Carlsbad achieve its goal of phasing out the existing Encina Power Station and using the land for future community and commercial development.
Phase I of the energy center is expected to prompt the state to determine when power from the remaining station is no longer needed, facilitating the eventual retirement and decommissioning of all of the units from the original power plant. Located on the existing site, the energy center will be concealed by terrain and situated west of Interstate 5 in the exact spot the city chose in the South Carlsbad Redevelopment Plan.
By using this recessed location, which is approximately 30 feet below grade, the visual impacts that often accompany power plants are eliminated. The project is substantially smaller than the existing Encina Power Station, which is approximately 150 feet high, with a boiler stack approximately 400 feet high.
By starting the new stacks 30 feet below grade in the recessed area, they will only be 109 feet above grade. By using a more environmentally progressive cooling system and higher efficiency power generation technology, NRG continues to demonstrate its commitment to environmental responsibility while meeting California's growing electricity demand.
For more information, call (760) 408-9833 or visit www.carlsbadenergycenter.com.
NRG West, the operators of the Encina Power Station, recently submitted plans to the California Energy Commission to build the Carlsbad Energy Center Project. This lower profile, state-of-the-art, air-cooled power plant would be located on the eastern side of the existing Encina Power Station site and utilize the existing infrastructure.
Electricity reliability is just one of the benefits of the proposed Carlsbad Energy Center. The project also would generate electricity more efficiently, using less fuel and creating fewer air emissions.
The new technology means the energy center will have a smaller carbon footprint than traditional power plants and will use an air cooling system that will ultimately protect marine life, rather than older, ocean water cooling systems. This unique combination of proven technology and a lower carbon footprint is expected to be one of the first applications of its kind in the United States.
“NRG's proposal eliminated the need to withdraw cooling water from Agua Hedionda Lagoon and the associated destruction of marine life. This project proposal is a win-win for advancing higher efficiency power generation and protecting our precious marine environment,” said Joe Geever, California Policy Coordinator for the Surfrider Foundation.
The project proposes to replace three of the five existing generating units at the Encina Power Station with more efficient, natural gas-fueled and lower profile units. These state-of-the-art units produce significantly lower emissions and burn 30 percent less natural gas.
As an added benefit, these units have the capability to be online in 10 minutes versus several hours, providing support for renewable power generation. This proposal helps the city of Carlsbad achieve its goal of phasing out the existing Encina Power Station and using the land for future community and commercial development.
Phase I of the energy center is expected to prompt the state to determine when power from the remaining station is no longer needed, facilitating the eventual retirement and decommissioning of all of the units from the original power plant. Located on the existing site, the energy center will be concealed by terrain and situated west of Interstate 5 in the exact spot the city chose in the South Carlsbad Redevelopment Plan.
By using this recessed location, which is approximately 30 feet below grade, the visual impacts that often accompany power plants are eliminated. The project is substantially smaller than the existing Encina Power Station, which is approximately 150 feet high, with a boiler stack approximately 400 feet high.
By starting the new stacks 30 feet below grade in the recessed area, they will only be 109 feet above grade. By using a more environmentally progressive cooling system and higher efficiency power generation technology, NRG continues to demonstrate its commitment to environmental responsibility while meeting California's growing electricity demand.
For more information, call (760) 408-9833 or visit www.carlsbadenergycenter.com.