Project Owner
CXA La Paloma, LLC
Docket Number
98-AFC-02
Capacity
1,048 MW
Location
Kern County
Technology
Combined Cycle
Project Status
Operational (Natural Gas-Fired)
Project Type
Application for Certification
Project Description

The La Paloma Generating Project (LPGP) is located near McKittrick, Kern County, approximately 40 miles west of Bakersfield, near the intersection of Reserve Road and Skyline Road.

LPGP is a 1,048-megawatt natural gas-fired, combined-cycle facility consisting of four combustion turbine generators, four heat recovery steam generators and exhaust stacks, and two to four steam turbines. California Aqueduct water from the West Kern Water District supplies the project water via an eight-mile pipeline.

On March 22, 2000, the California Energy Commission (CEC) approved a Post-Certification Amendment (PTA) (TN 14063) to add a natural-gas-fired boiler to the zero discharge wastewater treatment system, and to implement the capability of the gas turbines' to operate in a steam injection power augmentation mode.

On August 1, 2007, the CEC approved a PTA (TN 41795) to allow use of injection wells as the primary method of wastewater disposal and use of the zero-liquid discharge system as a backup disposal option.

On October 22, 2018, the CEC approved a request to place the facility’s auxiliary boiler in dormant status. The auxiliary boiler is not needed for normal operations and was last operated to conduct the three-year source testing in 2016.

  • Approval of Petition to Modify Project Description of Cooling Towers, TN 13499, 02/03/2000, Staff approval to modify description of cooling towers.
  • Insignificant Project Change for Approval of Transmission Line and Water Line Realignment, TN 13500, 02/04/2000, Staff approval to modify the alignment of transmission and water lines.
  • Approval of Petition for Plant Site Modifications, TN 13665, 02/18/2000, Staff approval for plant site layout modifications.
  • Commission Order Approving Ownership Transfer, TN 13822, 03/07/2000, Order No. 00-0126-02, Commission approval of transfer of ownership from La Paloma Generating Company to La Paloma Generating Trust, Ltd.
  • Commission Order Approving Addition of Natural Gas Boiler to Zero Discharge Wastewater Treatment System, TN 14063, 03/29/2000, Order No. 00-0322-03, Commission approval of modifications to add a natural gas-fired boiler to the zero-discharge wastewater treatment system and implement the capability of gas turbines to operate in a steam injection power augmentation mode.
  • Commission Order Approving Modifications to Condition of Certification AQ-5 and to Change Zero Discharge Boiler Vendor, TN 18117, 01/31/2001, Order No. 01-0110-01b, Commission approval to correct Condition of Certification AQ-5 and to change the vendor for the zero-discharge boiler.
  • Approval of Extended Nighttime Construction Work Hours, Not in Docket, 03/09/2001, Staff approval to extend construction work schedule to 24 hours per day, seven days per week through September 2001.
  • Approval of Temporary Construction Parking and Equipment Storage, TN 21386, 07/09/2001, Staff approval for temporary use of existing disturbed areas and roadways located south of the project site and Reserve Road for construction parking and equipment storage.
  • Approval of Integration of New or Re-Powered Generating Units with CAL-ISO, TN 21934, 08/09/2001, Staff approval to add Condition of Certification TSE-4 to Ensure Coordinated Integration of New Generating Unit with California's Electricity Grid.
  • Approval of Verification Change to Condition of Certification TLSN-3, TN 22968, 11/06/2001, Staff approval of verification change to Condition of Certification TLSN-3.
  • Commission Order Approving Revision of Air Quality Conditions of Certification, TN 24832, 03/07/2002, Order No. 02-0305-01b, Commission approval to revise air quality Condition of Certification AQ-15 and add AQ-79 and AQ-80 to allow for a possible reduction of PM10 emission limits, and to permit emission variability during the initial commissioning phases.
  • Commission Order Approving Revision of Air Quality Condition of Certification AQ-7, TN 26823, 09/30/2002, Order No. 02-0925-04, Commission approval to revise air quality Condition of Certification AQ-7 to allow either propane or natural gas to be used in the igniters for the combustion turbine generators.
  • Commission Order Approving Revision of Air Quality Conditions of Certification, TN 28654, 05/05/2003, Order No. 03-0430-01a, Commission approval to revise air quality Conditions of Certification AQ-12, AQ-13, and AQ-14 to reduce PM10 emission limits.
  • Commission Order Approving Project Modifications to Clarify Startup, Shutdown, SCR Ammonia Injection, And Other Changes Affecting Air Quality Conditions, TN 32464, 10/13/2004, Order No. 04-1006-02, Commission approval to modify the project to clarify startup, shutdown, SCR ammonia injection temperature, increase the one-hour NOx limits, specify the cooling tower drift calculation factor, reduce the frequency of cooling tower sampling, and revise the description of the emergency diesel engines.
  • Commission Order Approving Transfer of Ownership, TN 32708, 11/09/2004, Order No. 04-1103-01b, Commission approval of ownership transfer from La Paloma Generating Trust to the La Paloma Generating Company, LLC.
  • Order Approving Transfer of Equity Ownership and Operations, TN 36084, 12/14/2005, Order No. 05-0713-01d, Commission approval to transfer 100 percent of the equity ownership of the La Paloma Generating Company, LLC to the La Paloma Acquisition Company, LLC, a subsidiary of Complete Energy Holdings, LLC. Day-to-day operations of the power plant will be transferred from DTE La Paloma Operations, LLC, to CEP La Paloma Operating Company, LLC, also a subsidiary of Complete Energy.
  • Order Amending the Energy Commission Decision to Allow Use of Either the Zero Liquid Discharge System or New Injection Wells for Wastewater Discharge, TN 41860, 08/09/2007, Order No. 07-0801-03, Commission approval to allow the use of injection wells as the primary method of wastewater disposa1 and use of the zero-liquid discharge (ZLD) system as a backup disposal option.
  • Order Approving Modification of Air Quality Condition of Certification AQ-51, TN 58035, 08/16/2010, Order No. 10-0811-04, Commission approval to revise Condition of Certification AQ-51 to increase PM10 limit.
  • Approval of Requested Modifications to Install Inlet Foggers, 05/06/2013, Staff approval to install and utilize inlet foggers to further cool the inlet air on hot days.
  • Approval of Dormant Status of Auxiliary Boiler, Not in Docket, 10/22/2018, Staff approval dormant status for the Title V operating permit issued by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District for the La Paloma Generating Plant's auxiliary boiler.
  • Order Approving Transfer of Ownership from La Paloma Generating Company, LLC to CXA La Paloma, LLC., TN 224786, 09/24/2018, Order No. 18-0921-01b, Transfer of Ownership from La Paloma Generating Company, LLC to CXA La Paloma, LLC.
  • Order Approving Backup Standby Generator for Water Pump, TN 243044, 05/11/2022, Order No. 22-0511-05, installation of a diesel-fired emergency standby electrical generator to power the existing West Kern Water District pump station water pumps for process/cooling water at the LPGP in the event of electrical grid power loss.

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

e-Commenting has been closed. Please submit your comments in compliance proceeding above.

Docket Log (98-AFC-02)

Exhibit List

Proof of Service List

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Contacts

Project Manager

Ashley Gutierrez
CME@energy.ca.gov
(Please enter project name in the email subject line)
916-839-0400

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Public Advisor
publicadvisor@energy.ca.gov
916-269-9595

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