Blog: Official Initiative Title, Summary Completed; Evidence Mounts Redondo Plant Not Needed

Thursday afternoon the City Elections Official, Eleanor Manzano, released the official title and summary for the residents' initiative to phase out the power plant and rezone the site for parkland and commercial uses. This title and summary was generated by City Attorney Mike Webb as required by California election law. The title and summary are included above.

This title and summary must be posted and published, and then supporters are able to start the signature gathering process. NoPowerPlant.com has formed a Political Action Committee so they can gather funds for the signature gathering and campaign phases. They estimated they needed $7,500 for the signature gathering phase. Due to an outpouring of support, they blew by this goal, raising over $12,000 in just three weeks.

NoPowerPlant.com has hired a law firm to draft the final petition due to the complexity of election law requirements for petition formatting and content. Signature gathering may start as early as next weekend. If you want to help be part of this historic movement, go to www.nopowerplant.com.

Meanwhile, CAISO, the organization responsible for the power grid, released an update on a study examining the need to replace the power plants that use ocean water cooling in our area. New environmental law requires these plants to change cooling methods. must comply with this new ruling by 2020, which is why they are in the process of applying to rebuild the power plant.  

The update, dated June 22, 2012, looks at the need for these plants through the year 2021, which is as far as state agencies project power needs so far. The study corroborates the power plant opponent position that power from AES Redondo is not required and the plant can be permanently retired. The report concludes that our particular portion of the grid (the LA Basin) would have "acceptable system performance... with a minimum level of OTC required." "OTC" is shorthand for power plants that use ocean water cooling, called "Once-Through Cooling."

The report spells out which OTC plants are most critical to grid reliability: the "most effective Once-Through-Cooling generation: Alamitos and Huntington Beach." 

This report demonstrates our section of the grid can permanently retire much of its old, ocean-cooled power generation and that the Redondo plant is not critical to grid reliability.

California Energy Commission and CAISO representatives have stated we can retire an OTC power plant in our section of the grid. Multiple CEC, CAISO reports show we have excess capacity without AES Redondo. Two independent studies from the State Coastal Conservancy show specifically that we do not need AES Redondo for grid reliability. The evidence continues to build that the power plant in Redondo can be permanently retired without impacting our power grid's ability to provide the area reliable power.

With the power not needed, the substantial negative environmental, economic, environmental and health impacts support the power plant opposition position that AES Redondo should be permanently retired.