Docket Number
82-AFC-02
Capacity
300 MW
Location
Kern County
Technology
Simple Cycle
Project Status
Operational (Natural Gas-Fired)
Project Type
Application for Certification
Project Description

The Kern River Cogeneration Facility (KRCF) is located in the Kern River Oil Field, approximately five miles north of the City of Bakersfield, and five miles east of State Route 99 in Kern County.

KRCF is a 300-megawatt natural gas-fired cogeneration facility consisting of four 75-megawatt General Electric Frame 7EA combustion turbines equipped with dry Low NOx (DLN1+) combustors and four heat recovery steam generators each capable of generating up to 450,000 pounds per hour (lb/hr) of steam for delivery to the adjacent oilfield operator for use in enhanced oil recovery and ancillary equipment.

On April 7, 2004, the California Energy Commission (CEC) approved a Post-Certification Amendment (TN 31293) to allow KRCF to operate two of the four turbines (Units 3 and 4) in either cogeneration or simple cycle mode. This allows KCRF to respond to the current electricity market and respond to a decline for steam demand from the adjacent oilfields. It gives the project more flexibility to operate in simple-cycle mode because an unforeseen decline in steam demand since certification has reduced the need to operate in cogeneration mode.

  • Order Approving Commission Jurisdiction over Tapline and Substation, Not in Docket, Order No. 87-1202-02, Commission approval of Commission certification jurisdiction over the Tapline and Substation pursuant to the Warren-Alquist Act.
  • Order Approving Amendments to Air Quality Condition of Certification Number 2 Pertaining to KCAPCD's Determination of Compliance, Not in Docket, Order No. 88-1019-04b, Commission approval to modify hydrocarbon control efficiency and emission sampling limits; align compliance testing requirements with District.
  • Order Approving Amendments to Air Quality Condition of Certification Number 2 Pertaining to KCAPCD's Determination of Compliance, Not in Docket, Order No. 88-1102-03b, Commission approval to modify Heat Input Rates; water injection used to control NOx emissions.
  • Order Approving Amendments to Air Quality Condition of Certification Number 2 Pertaining to KCAPCD's Determination of Compliance, Not in Docket, Order No. 89-0524-08a, Commission approval to modify Conditions of Certification AQ-2 language so only a specific number of steam generators shall be shut down dependent upon the number of turbines fired on oil.
  • Order Approving Amendments to the Project Description and Cultural & Biological Conditions of Certification and Engineering LORS, Not in Docket, 11/20/1991, Order No. 91-1120-04b, Commission approval to install and operate a second natural gas pipeline that will connect both the Sycamore and the Kern River cogeneration projects to a second natural gas source provided by the Mojave/Kern River interstate natural gas supply line. Also, to modify Cultural and Biological Resources conditions of certification and Engineering LORS. (See Sycamore Docket for a copy of this order).
  • Order Approving Change to the Project Design to Add a Maintenance Shop, TN 212985, 08/26/2016, Order No. 93-0728-03a, Commission approval to construct new maintenance shop.
  • Notice of Post-Certification Change for Approval to Install a Reverse Osmosis Unit Ahead of the Demineralizer System, Not in Docket, 05/25/1994, Staff Approval of installation of reverse osmosis unit to increase the useful life of the chemicals in the demineralizer and thereby lengthen the period between regeneration from once every 1.5 days to approximately once every 8 days.
  • Order Approving Amendments to the Air Quality Conditions of Certification, TN 212982, 08/26/2016, Order No. 95-0201-02a, Commission approval to incorporate the District DOC into AQ conditions, incorporate changes to AQ conditions reflecting Rule 4703; and remove the requirement for fuel oil as a backup to natural gas.
  • Approval of Change to Condition of Certification Verification AQ-18c, Not in Docket, 08/25/1995, Staff approval modifying reporting time period in the verification of Condition of Certification AQ-18c of Order 95-0201-02a to be consistent with Air District.
  • Approval to Install Parking Space Cover, Not in Docket, 10/06/1997, Staff approval to install a cover over existing parking spaces adjacent to the KRCC control building.
  • Order Approving Change to Condition of Certification AQ-18, TN 9174, 08/06/1998, Order No. 98-0729-02, Commission approval to raise oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO) emission limits for Kern River to accommodate a necessary equipment change.
  • Energy Commission Approval Not Required to Modify Substation, Not in Docket, 01-25-2000, Energy Commission approval not required to modify existing 230 kV Kern River substation to operate both 230 and 115 kV and terminate new 115 kV single circuit T-line at Kern River Substation. However, the California Independent System Operator (Cal-ISO) requires a system impact study which must be approved by the Cal-ISO prior to paralleling with the system.
  • Order Approving a Petition to Amend Air Quality Condition of Certification, TN 13823, 03/07/2000, Order No. 00-0209-05, Commission approval modify Condition of Certification AQ-2 design requirements for combustion turbine generators (Dry-Low NOx) by removing the one-hour concentration emission limit for Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx)
  • Order Approving a Petition Allow for Either Cogen or Simple Cycle Operation, TN 31293, 04/22/2004, Order No. 04-0407-03, Commission approval to allow for two of the four turbines to operate in either cogeneration or simple-cycle mode in response to (1) a decline in steam demand from the adjacent oilfield, and (2) the need for flexibility to respond to the current electricity market..
  • Approval of Petition to Add Above-Ground Natural Gas Pipeline and Verification Change for Condition of Certification Cultural 4-3, TN 34847, 07/06/2005, Staff Approval of Petition to add an 1800-foot natural gas pipeline on the southwest side of the power plant.
  • Approval of Insignificant Project Change to Allow Either Simple Cycle or Cogeneration Operation on Combustion Turbine Units 1 and 2, Not in Docket, 02/06/2006, Staff approval allowing either simple cycle or cogeneration operation on combustion turbines of Units 1 and 2.
  • Notice of Insignificant Project Change for Approval to Upgrade Units 2 and 4 enhanced dry low NOx combustors (DLN1 +), TN 37257, 07/06/2006, Staff approval to replace the dry low NOx combustors in Units 2 and 4 with General Electric (GE) enhanced dry low NOx combustors (DLN1 +).
  • Order Approving Petition to Install Enhanced Dry Low NOx Combustor, TN 46463, 05/23/2008, Order No. 08-0521-02, Commission approval to install enhanced dry low oxides of nitrogen (NOx) combustors in Units 1-4.
  • Order Approving a Petition to Modify Air Quality Conditions of Certification to Include 12-hour Start-up Time, TN 63012, 12/01/2011, Order No. 11-1130-06, Commission approval to modify the air quality conditions of certification to include a 12-hour startup period to allow the project to operate all four of the combustion gas turbines units in an extended start-up period for the purpose of tuning the units following removal and replacement of combustion hardware.
  • Order Approving Transfer of Ownership to Chevron Power Holdings, Inc., TN 207032, 12/15/2015, Order No. 15-1209-1b, Commission approval to transfer ownership of the Kern River Cogeneration project certification from Kern River Cogeneration Company to Chevron Power Holdings Inc.

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 (82-AFC-02)

Exhibit List

Proof of Service List

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Contacts

Project Manager

John Heiser
CME@energy.ca.gov
(Please enter project name in the email subject line)
916-628-5566

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916-957-7910

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