Bill Brand spent two decades fighting to get the waterfront power plant in Redondo Beach torn down and replaced with a public park. Until recently, he was sure he had won.
Whether the four coastal power plants shut down in 2020 or keep running a while longer — a final decision will be made by the State Water Resources Control Board — California’s overall electricity mix won’t change much. The aging Redondo Beach facility, for instance, operated at just 2% of its full capacity last year, meaning utilities were willing to buy its power only on high-demand days when they badly needed a little extra juice.
Power lines carry electricity from the AES gas-fired plant in Redondo Beach toward a substation several miles inland, by the 405 Freeway. “I don’t think it’s a big deal if it’s maybe one year,” he said. “But what I fear is they’ll be back in two or three years asking for more time.”Although natural gas burns more cleanly than coal, it’s still one of the biggest sources of climate pollution. Globally, planet-warming carbon emissions from natural gas are, according to recent research led by a Stanford University scientist.
Great article. It’s all in there. As a SoCal, this affects me, aesthetically, from overhead wires in my backyard, the AES plant looming in the distance while surfing (that picture is an accurate one for me), the new behemoth AES plant in HB, sitting on contaminated soil...
Just ask the people how they felt about the blackouts due to Santa Ana winds. This is what's going to happen on a large scale if you go 100% renewable. Or you were going to still have gas turbine spinning ready to put power into the grid at a moment's notice because of lag
Another reason you need to go out and get a portable generator for future power shortages while California still allows you to have one.
it is not about the natural gas plants. it is about the land they sit on that are ripe for development.
As much as we need and stop trying to take it
What about CCS? Doesn’t it worth? If Nuke one is better than other power plant, why don’t we built more to stop CO2?
A lot and forever.
so all the gas leases the 7 cities and losangeles bought up in multiple states will be used in Utah and Nevada and transported as power to socal lol the nimby california and los angeles, orange counties claiming to be green🤣
California should ban natural gas to save the climate.
Leftists
In a unanimous vote last month, the California Public Utilities Commission said the coastal gas plants are needed to keep reliable electricity flowing to Southern California residents for a few more years, until utilities can fully replace them. 📸: Mel Melcon
Sammy_Roth California will never reach their goal and neither will the EU. The goal is to high and tax tax tax is the EU unelected masters answer. Not even reasonable or workable. California is Full of Fools.
Sammy_Roth Better excess then shortage
Sammy_Roth A lot!!! For a long time.
Sammy_Roth