Letter: AES Not Good for Community

It sure seems like an enormous stretch in the recent editorial (AES: New Power Plant Would Benefit Community, March 30) to claim that the same industrial eyesore that has been plaguing our harbor and waterfront businesses for years and the same corporation that has done everything they can to avoid paying tax on natural gas (the same tax other local businesses pay) and whom has continued to drastically devalue their land in order to try to pay less money in property taxes, is somehow ‘good’ and ‘beneficial’ to the community. Eric Pendergraft was specifically named in a federal investigation regarding a massive fraud where AES and Williams Company attempted to steal millions of dollars from the State of Calfornia and taxpayers. The details are in this article.

Note to AES Southland and specifically to now-President Eric Pendergraft—your actions speak volumes to your character and the priorities of your corporation. is finally no longer a must-run facility nor is it even required for future grid reliability. Many new plants are coming online in less densely populated areas, and this plant does not need to be rebuilt. This is the welcomed news so many residents have waited to hear. You have taken advantage of our community by paying far less than AES should, and our health, businesses and the vitality of our harbor have suffered long enough. 

If our community successfully unites, AES’ blighting influence on our waterfront will soon be over! Please read the facts on this important issue at nopowerplant.com.

Sheri Patterson
Redondo Beach

Letters to the editor do not necessarily reflect the views of Redondo Beach Patch. Letters must be less than 500 words and are subject to editing for space, spelling, punctuation, grammar and clarity. Also, anonymous letters will not be published, so remember to include your real name. You can email your letter to Redondo Beach Patch editor Nicole Mooradian at nicole.mooradian@patch.com.