Project Owner
NextEra Energy Resources
Docket Number
87-AFC-01
Capacity
150 MW
Location
San Bernardino County
Technology
Solar Thermal
Project Status
Terminated
Project Type
Application for Certification
Project Description

The Solar Energy Generating System (SEGS) III-VII project located near Kramer Junction, California, about 30 miles west of Barstow, in San Bernardino County, California. The site occupies approximately 1,000 acres (170 acres for each of the five units) and is developed on generally level desert terrain within Kramer Basin at an elevation of 2,450 feet. It is surrounded by discontinuous low-relief uplands including the Saddleback Mountains to the north and the Kramer Hills to the south and is classified as having a high desert climate. Hot and dry summers with occasional intense desert thunderstorms are followed by cool and dry winters. High winds and blowing sand and dust are frequent in the area.

SEGS III-VII consists of five 30-megawatt (MW) (150-megawatt net total) solar and natural gas fired units. Electricity produced from the project is sold to Southern California Edison.

The project owner previously suspended operation of the SEGS VI and VII facilities pursuant to a cold layup plan for VI and VII that was submitted to the CEC in September 2018. In October 2019, the project owner submitted a new cold layup plan to suspend operation at all five units (SEGS III-VII). Safe Layup activities have been completed for SEGS III-VII per the cold layup plan submitted in 2019.

Since 2005 NextEra Energy Resources (NEER) previously suspended operation of the SEGS VI and VII facilities pursuant to a Cold Layup Plan for VI & VII that was submitted to the California Energy Commission in September 2018.

On October 31, 2018, a September 2018 Cold Layup Plan for SEGS Units VI-VII was docketed (TN 225713). An addendum was docketed on August 20, 2019 (TN 229493).

On February 12, 2021, a Decommissioning Plan for the SEGS Units III-VII facility was docketed (TN 236752). On April 20, 2021, a Final Decommissioning Plan for SEGS Units III-VII was docketed (TN 237500).

On June 9, 2021, (TN238204), the California Energy Commission approved the Decommissioning Plan.

Decommissioning activites for SEGS III-V were completed on December 23, 2021 with decomissioning activites continuing with SEGS VI -VII with anticipated completion by the 3rd quater of 2022.

On February 16, 2022, the CEC approved a petition (TN 241587) to adjust the boundary removing SEGS III-V from the overall project site and terminating the CEC’s jurisdiction over SEGS III-V.

On May 24, 2022, the CEC approved a petition (TN 243268) to adjust the boundary removing SEGS VII from the overall project site and terminating the CEC’s jurisdiction over SEGS VII.

As of June 2022, SEGS VI is still under CEC jurisdiction.

On July 28, 2022, Luz Solar Partners, ltd., III-VII (project owner), an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources-Operating Services (NEER) submitted a request to terminate the California Energy Commission (CEC) certification (license) (TN 244279) for the Solar Energy Generating System (SEGS) III-VII Kramer Junction (87-AFC-01C).

On September 29, 2022, SEGS III-VII decommissioning was complete in accordance with all conditions of certification and the facility Decommissioning Plan, which includes the process for final closure of the evaporation ponds under the jurisdiction and permitting of the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board (LRWQCB). On October 3, 2022, the Delegate Chief Building Official issued a final inspection report.

The SEGS III-VII license termination request was approved at the October 12, 2022, CEC Business Meeting.

 

  • Order Amending Public Health Condition of Certification No. 2, Not in Docket, 10/05/1988, Order No. 88-1005-06, Commission approval to use Dow Chemical Company's Dowtherm heat transfer fluid instead of Monsanto Chemical Company's Therminol VP-1 at Unit VII and to modify Public Health Condition of Certification No. 2
  • Order Amending Public Health Condition of Certification No.1, Not in Docket, 02/15/1989, Order No. 89-0215-05b, Commission approval to use Betz Chemical Company's cooling water additives "Slimicide", "BP 5400", and "445" at Unit VII and to modify Public Health Condition of Certification No. 1.
  • Order Amending the Project Description, Allowing the Installation of Additional Solar Collectors at the SEGS Unit V Facility, Not in Docket, 04/12/1989, Order No. 89-0412-07b, Commission approval to install four loops of LS-3 type solar collectors at the west portion of Unit V solar field.
  • Approval of Post Certification Change to SEGS III-V Boilers, Not in Docket, 08/14/1989, Staff approval of the request for a post certification change to SEGS III-V, concerning NOx burner retrofits.
  • Order Approving Amendment of Project Description, Not in Docket, 10/04/1989, Order No. 89-1004-04a, Commission approval to expand size of SEGS VI solar field by approximately eight acres to add six loops of LS-3 solar collectors to the north side of existing solar field.
  • Order Approving Modification of Public Health Condition of Certification 2-3, Not in Docket, 02/20/1991, Order No. 91-0220-08a, Commission approval to amend Public Health Condition 2-3 to allow Luz to monitor quarterly for benzene, biphenyl, and diphenyl oxide for a period of only one years.
  • Order Approving Modification of Air Quality Conditions 1-14 and 1-24 and Addition of Air Quality Condition 1-36, Not in Docket, 10/23/1991, Order No. 91-1023-03a, Commission approval to modify Air Quality conditions of Certification 1-14 and 1-24 and addition of new Air Quality Condition of Certification 1-36 in order to meet emission limits.
  • Approval of Operator Change, Not in Docket, 11/22/1991, Staff approval for the appointment of Kramer Junction Company as operator of the facility.
  • Notice of Post Certification Change in Ownership to Kramer Junction Company, Not in Docket, 07/21/1992, Staff approval of Kramer Junction Company elected general partners for Luz Solar Partners (LSP) Ltd. III-VII, owners of the SEGS III-VII projects.
  • Order Approving Amendment For Air Quality Conditions 23, 24and 29, TN 8888, 12/13/1993, Order No. 93-1201-03, Commission approval to amend Air Quality Conditions of Certification 23, 24 and 29 to improve SEGS III-VII operational flexibility, streamline compliance reporting requirements, and revise NOx, CO and particulate emission limits as described above.
  • Order Approving Addition of Waste Management Conditions of Certification 15, 16and 17, Not in Docket, 08/09/1995, Order No. 95-0809-02, Commission approval to add Waste Management Conditions of Certification 15, 16 and 17 for an an on-site bioremediation waste treatment facility for the treatment of Heat Transfer Fluid contaminated soil at the SEGS III-VII facilities.
  • Addition of Five Above-Ground Storage Tanks, Not in Docket, 04/03/1996, Staff approval to install two 10,000-gallon tanks for HTF storage, one 10,000-gallon tank for waste oil, and two tanks (one 10,000 gallons and one 5,000 gallons) for oily water and other wastewater.
  • Approval of Addition of Maintenance Building, TN 4871, 07/30/1997, Staff approval to construct a maintenance building adjacent to the stores warehouse.
  • Approval of Addition of Oil/Water Separator, TN 7416, 11/24/1997, Staff approval to add an oil/water separator to the Water and Oil Processing Equipment
  • Approval of Elimination of the 16 Hours-Per-Day Limit on Fossil Fuel Electrical Generation, TN 22231, 08/28/2001, Staff approval to eliminate the 16 Hours-Per-Day Limit on Fossil Fuel Electrical Generation per Executive Order 0-40-01.
  • Order Approving Transfer of Operational Control to FPL Energy Operating Services, Inc., TN 33517, 02/23/2005, Order No. 05-0216-01d, Commission approval to transfer operational control from KJC Operating Company, to FPL Energy Operating Services, Inc.
  • Notification of Administrative Company Name Change, TN 51422, 05/04/2009, Notification of administrative operator name change from FPL Energy Operating Services to NextEra Energy Operating Services.
  • Notice of Determination Petition to Add New Foundation and Containment Structure for Spare Transformer, TN 67280, 09/24/2012, Staff approval to add a foundation and containment structure for storage of spare transformer located at the south end of the SEGS V Power Block.
  • Order Approving Facility Decommissioning Plan, TN 238204, 06/15/2021, Order No. 21-0609-04, Commission approval of facility decommissioning plan and adoption of proposed conditions of certification.
  • Order Approving Site Boundary Change and Removal of SEGS III, IV and V from CEC jurisdiction, TN 241587, 02/16/2022, Order No. 22- 22-0216-2, Commission approval of a site boundary change and terminating CEC jurisdiction over SEGS III, IV, and V.
  • Order Approving Site Boundary Change and Removal of SEGS VII from CEC jurisdiction, TN 243268, 05/24/2022, Order No: 22-0524-1 Commission approval of a site boundary change and terminating CEC jurisdiction over SEGS III.

Attention: Non-hypertext items above will need to be requested from the Compliance Project Manager, along with the document TN number, if provided above.

Power Plant Certification and Exemption Processes

The CEC has the exclusive authority to certify all thermal power plants 50 megawatts (MW) and larger and related facilities proposed for construction in California. The Application for Certification (AFC) process is a certified regulatory program under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). As a certified regulatory program, the CEC does not prepare environmental impact reports (EIRs) in an AFC proceeding, but instead prepares environmental assessment documents that are functionally equivalent to EIRs. A certificate issued by the CEC is in lieu of any permit, certificate, or similar document otherwise required by any state, local or regional agency, or federal agency to the extent permitted by federal law, and supersedes any applicable statute, ordinance, or regulation of any state, local, or regional agency, or federal agency to the extent permitted by federal law.

Original Proceeding

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Docket Log (87-AFC-01)

Exhibit List

Proof of Service List

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John Heiser
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(916) 628-5566

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