LA Electric Expansion Calls for Renewables
EarthVision Environmental News
September 7, 2000
LOS ANGELES, CA, September 7, 2000 - The Los Angeles City Council has approved a $1.7 billion power expansion program that calls for new renewable sources to be placed into the mix. The Department of Water and Power’s (DWP) expansion program would be implemented over a 10-year period, involving an additional 2,900 megawatts (MW) and focus on improving reliability, lowering prices for customers and addressing environmental concerns.
The 2000 Integrated Resource Plan details how DWP will meet and exceed the growing demand for electricity, repower Los Angeles basin plants, add new capacity to meet super peak needs and help finance the expansion by the sale of DWP's share of Mohave Generating Station. This sale would bring in $265 million.
DWP General Manager S. David Freeman says although the city is currently providing reliable power, the system is old and inefficient. The upgrades will allow for an increase in reliability and the infusion of cleaner, lower-priced electricity he said.
The plan calls for modernizing a total of ten power units with new highly efficient combined cycle natural gas facilities with state-of-the-art emission controls. The first repowering will come on line in 2003. By 2010 NOx emissions will be cut at DWP's in-basin plants by more than 65 percent.
Power reliability also will be improved through the addition of in-basin Combustion Turbines (CTs) by next summer. CTs are designed to meet surges in power needs due to high temperatures or interruptions in service from other sources. According to DWP, these turbines can be turned on with a "flip-of-a-switch," a benefit over traditional plants that need hours to come on line and begin delivering power.
Renewable energy sources, distributed generation and demand side management will add another 460 MW to DWP's in-basin power supply and improve reliability because they are not affected by situations that cause power interruptions at other sources. Renewable energy sources improve the environment and also further diversify LA’s power supply portfolio.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power serves more than 3.7 million people in Los Angeles and was established almost 100 years ago to provide water and electric needs to the city's businesses and residents.