For immediate release: January 31, 2000
Media Contact: Claudia Chandler -- 916 654-4989

Energy Commission Votes to Begin Pastoria Energy Facility Review Process



Sacramento-With a unanimous vote, the five-member California Energy Commission has initiated the formal review process for construction and operation of the Pastoria Energy Facility, a 750-megawatt, natural gas-fired, merchant-class electrical generating facility project located in southern Kern County.

The proposed power plant and ancillary facilities, owned by Pastoria Energy Facility, Limited Liability Corporation (LLC), a subsidiary of Enron North America Corporation, will produce electricity for sale into the StateÕs open market power grid, either through contractual arrangements or through the Power Exchange.

The Commission's vote marks the start of a 12-month review process, including a comprehensive and objective analysis of all issues including (but not limited to) public health and safety, air quality, hazardous materials, environmental impacts and engineering design. Public input is a key element in each phase of the Commission review of power plant proposals.

The Energy Commission has exclusive jurisdiction to certify or deny certification for the location and related facilities for thermal power plants in California that generate 50 megawatts or more of electricity.

If approved, the Pastoria Energy Facility would be a state-of-the-art natural gas-fired, combined-cycle generating facility on an undeveloped site at Tejon Ranch. The proposed site is adjacent to an existing gravel quarry and is approximately 30 acres in size. The site is approximately 30 miles south of Bakersfield and approximately 6.5 miles east of Interstate 5 at the base of the Tehachapi Mountains.

The project will also include the construction and operation of ancillary facilities including water supply lines, a natural gas pipeline, an electric transmission line to connect with the grid, and wastewater disposal facilities.

In a related action, the Energy Commission designated Commissioner Robert A. Laurie Presiding Member of the Pastoria Energy Facility Siting Committee, with Commissioner Michal (correct spelling) C. Moore serving as Associate Member.

During the certification process, the Committee is responsible for overseeing all hearings and related proceedings on the proposed facilities. Once the review process is complete, the Committee will formulate formal recommendations on whether the plant's application for a license should be approved or denied. If the project is recommended for approval, the Committee is also responsible for determining what "conditions of certification" the project must meet to ensure it will not impose a significant adverse impact on the environment.

The Commission's Web Site provides additional information about the Pastoria Power Facility proposal at:

www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/pastoria


Energy Commission Review of Other Power Projects In addition to the Pastoria Power Project, other power plant proposals currently under Energy Commission review include the following, listed in alphabetical order:

Since April 1999, the Commission has approved licenses for three other California power plants: Calpine Corporation's 500-megawatt Sutter County cogeneration project, the similar-sized Pittsburg District Energy Facility in the eastern Contra Costa County City of Pittsburg, and the 1,043 megawatt La Paloma Generating Facility in the McKittrick area of Kern County.

The Commission's Web Site provides information on all these projects at:

http://www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases


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