AES Redondo Beach Application 'Data Adequate,' Says CEC

The California Energy Commission voted Tuesday to accept as data adequate AES Southland's proposal to rebuild its AES Redondo Beach Generating Station—meaning that the project has enough information to proceed to the discovery and analysis phases of the site certification process.

The current power plant on Harbor Drive must be retired, retrofitted, rebuilt or provided with exemptions to continue operating past 2020 to comply with the state of California's ban on once-through cooling.

Once-through cooling uses ocean water to cool the superheated steam generated to spin turbines and create electricity in power plants.

AES Southland, the parent company of the Redondo Beach power plant, has filed an application with the California Energy Commission to rebuild the power plant. Officials say the new plant will take up a smaller footprint and run more efficiently.

Opponents of the plant, on the other hand, argue that AES' application shows that the new plant will run more often than the current one and produce more pollution and continue to depress property values in the area.

The Redondo Beach City Council in July voted to oppose AES' application to repower the plant. Additionally, the council decided the city would participate as an intervenor in the process.   Intervenors have the power to request documents, cross-examine witnesses and participate more directly in the CEC's application process.

If the CEC approves the $500 million Redondo Beach Energy Project, construction and demolition activities would begin in January 2016 and go through December 2020, according to a statement from the commission.

Related:

• Council Will Not Oppose Expansion of AES Power Plant
• Residents Rally Against AES
• Group to AES: Tear Down Power Plant
• AES Defends Plans to Repower Plant
• Photos: Look Inside AES Redondo
• AES Unveils Plans for New Power Plant
• Council 'Kills' AES Subcommittee
• Opposition to AES Power Plant Not New
• No Decision on Whether Council Will Oppose AES Repowering Application
• Mayor Gin Vetoes Advisory Vote
• Council Takes No Action to Oppose Repowering AES Redondo Beach
• AES to File Repowering Application by September's End
• AES Delays Filing Application to Repower
• AES Redondo Beach Files Application to Repower
• CEC Deems AES Application to Repower 'Data Inadequate'
• School Board Approves Power Plant Resolution
• AES, NoPowerPlant.com Claim Victory With Passage of School Board Resolution
• Council Unanimously Passes Anti-Power-Plant Resolution
• City Council to Draft MOU Regarding AES Property
• Cal-ISO Publishes Summer Power Forecast
• Council Votes to Oppose AES Redondo Beach Application for CEC