For immediate release: August 5, 2003
Media Contact: Chris Davisr - 916-654-4989
Salton Sea Geothermal Power Project
Gets Favorable Staff Review
Sacramento - The staff of the California Energy Commission released
Part One of its Final Staff Assessment today for the Salton Sea Unit 6
geothermal power project. This report contains the staff's analysis and
recommended conditions of certification for the power plant in all areas
except Air Quality and Alternatives. It finds that in those areas
analyzed so far, environmental impacts can be mitigated and the project
could comply with all laws, ordinances, regulations and standards.
The Air Quality and Alternatives sections will be published at a
later date, with the Energy Commission staff's final recommendations,
once the staff receives all of the necessary information
Part One of the Final Staff Assessment of the Salton Sea Unit 6
geothermal power project can be viewed or printed from the Energy
Commission website at:
www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/saltonsea/documents
The report does not represent a decision or proposed decision on the
project. It represents the staff's independent analysis of the project's
potential impacts on public health and safety, the transmission system
and the environment, excluding air quality.
For geothermal projects, the Energy Commission evaluates all aspects
of the project, but permits for the geothermal production and injection
wells will be issued by the Department of Conservation, Division of Oil
Gas and Geothermal Resources. Well pads and brine pipelines would be
permitted by Imperial County. Both agencies intend to use the Energy
Commission's Decision as the environmental document for their permitting
processes.
CE Obsidian Energy, LLC, is proposing to build the Salton Sea
Geothermal Unit 6 geothermal power project near the southern end of the
Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, within the Salton Sea
Known Geothermal Resource Area. The project site is an 80-acre portion
of a 160-acre parcel owned by the applicant in an unincorporated area of
Imperial County, approximately six miles north of Calipatria,
California.
If it is approved and built, the Salton Sea Geothermal Unit 6 Power
Plant will be the largest geothermal power plant in the United States.
The steam-powered electric generating facility is designed to produce
185 megawatts, enough on average to power approximately 185,000
California homes. The facility would include a geothermal Resource
Production Facility, Power Generation Facility with a high-efficiency
condensing-steam turbine, production wells and pads, above-ground brine
pipelines, and a brine waste solids handling system. More than 85
percent of the plant's output is contracted to the Imperial Irrigation
District for 20 years following the project's completion.
The Energy Commission staff will hold a workshop in late August to
take comments on Part One of the Final Staff Assessment. The Commission
will send out a public notice when the workshop date and time are set.
Written comments on the report will be accepted through August 29, 2003.
Comments must be addressed to:
Salton Sea Unit Six Geothermal Power Project
Attn: Robert Worl
California Energy Commission
1516 Ninth Street, MS 15
Sacramento, CA 95814
- or by e-mail -
RWorl@energy.state.ca.us
Public input is an important part of the California Energy Commission's power plant licensing process. To find out how to get involved, contact the Commission's Public Adviser, Roberta Mendonca, toll free at (800) 822-6228, or by e-mail at: pao@energy.state.ca.us
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