Op-Ed: Mr. Pendergraft, Tear Down This Power Plant

Each year, some 79 billion marine animals are killed when sucked into the pipes of the power plants that dot the California coast, including one right in Redondo Beach.

The pipes were built along the coast to draw in ocean water to help cool the plants, but fragile ocean life is suffering as a result.

In response, the state is requiring power plants to completely cease using this cooling method. That means all of the plants—including ours—must come up with alternatives. Redondo's cut-off date is 2020.

What will the impact of these alternatives be? Will they be better for Redondo—or worse?

When the first power plant was built on the current site in the early 1900's, the area was an industrial area with salt-water wetlands surrounded largely by lumber yards receiving goods from ships docking at Redondo's piers. It was riddled with train tracks transporting ship cargo inland. 

Through the years, King Harbor was built on the water side of the power plant. City Planners have allowed residential neighborhoods, the Salvation Army, and hotels to surround the power plant site. 

The power plant has ruined harbor views and degraded property values, belching out pollutants on power up and roaring like a jet engine when it vents. It has created an ugly, rusting industrial wall between the residential neighborhoods and the harbor.

Over time, Redondo's plant has gone from a full time power plant supplying power 24/7 to what is called a "peaker" plant. It only runs when the power grid is experiencing peak loads. Most of the plant is currently not operational; California's recent push to build more power plants has rendered Redondo's plant, and many other seaside power plants, unnecessary.

AES is in the process of applying for regulatory permission to repower their plant with other forms of cooling. These methods will likely require either cooling towers, which will impact even more coastal views, or cooling fans which will exceed Redondo noise thresholds, or a combination of both. Concurrently, AES is in discussions with the West Basin Water District to build a desalination plant that will generate between 20 million and 100 million gallons of drinking water per day from ocean water. This inefficient method of producing high cost water creates significant energy and environmental impacts and expands the reindustrialization of the AES site.

Should it stay or should it go?  It's now or never.

Redondo residents face a once in a lifetime decision. Should they allow the power plant to repower? Or should they force AES to phase it out?  Once AES gets its permits to repower, the plant will be there for the foreseeable future.

Many communities including Oxnard, San Francisco and Chula Vista are currently phasing out their waterfront power plants. Why? These plants can be rebuilt at sites that impact the environment less, or just retired because the power they produce is no longer needed due to new plants sited inland of the coast.

The city could change the zoning of the AES site to phase out power generation as a permitted use. Despite prodding from Councilman Bill Brand, Redondo's City Council has turned a cold shoulder on any actions that would stop AES's plans to repower, choosing instead to enter into discussions. Inaction by the city is effectively a tacit approval of the repowering of the AES plant and acceptance of a new, full scale desalination plant. 

Will Redondo residents quietly accept the City's inaction?

It is obvious the City Council and City Manager do not have the will to stop the reindustrialization of Redondo's waterfront. Their inaction is telling. The question now is, will Redondo residents follow the lead of other waterfront communities around the state and take action to stop the rebuilding of the power plant? 

Building a Better Redondo opposes repowering the AES site.  Much of the financial support to BBR comes from those who want the power plant and all its negative impacts gone for good.  BBR is supporting a rally on September 10th at 5 p.m. starting at the intersection of PCH/Catalina and 190th Street.  Public participation in this rally is welcome. 

Hope to see you there.