King City Energy Center

The King City Energy Center (KCEC) is located adjacent to Calpine’s existing King City Cogeneration power plant at 750 Metz Road, King City, Monterey County.

KCEC is a 50-megawatt (MW), natural gas-fired simple-cycle peaking power plant consisting of a single natural gas-fired, aero-derivative LM6000 combustion turbine generator used to rapidly respond to peak system electricity demands.

KCEC was reviewed under Public Resources Code section 25705, which granted the California Energy Commission (CEC) emergency permitting authority, and Executive Order D-26-01, issued February 8, 2001 and Executive Order D-28-01 issued on March 7, 2001. In Executive Order D-26-01 and D-28-01, the Governor ordered the CEC and other relevant state and local agencies to expedite review of proposed thermal power plants for construction and operation on an emergency basis by September 30, 2001. The Governor also declared that these projects were emergency projects under Public Resources Code section 21080(b)(4) and are thereby exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act.

On August 22, 2001, the California Energy Commission (CEC) approved a petition to extend the on-line date to no later than December 28, 2001.

On June 11, 2003, the CEC approved a Post-Certification Amendment (TN 28991) to transfer the ownership from Calpine Corporation to Gilroy Energy Center, LLC., a wholly owned subsidiary of Calpine Corporation. Calpine Corporation also requested that the plant name of Calpine King City LM 6000 Project, as it appears on the Energy Commission Decision of May 2, 2001, be changed to King City Energy Center.

The CEC included a provision that would allow for the certification to be extended for the life of the project, provided that the conditions of certification were current and in compliance, the project was permanent in nature, and air emission credits were in place. On April 11, 2012, the CEC approved the extension (TN 64743) of the KCEC for the life of the facility, until such time that it ceases operations and commences permanent closure activities.