- Docket Number
- 06-AFC-05
- Capacity
- 400 MW
- Location
- Fresno County
- Technology
- Simple Cycle
- Project Status
- Operational (Natural Gas-Fired)
- Project Type
- Application for Certification
The Panoche Energy Center (PEC) is located within western Fresno County adjacent to the Panoche Hills approximately 2 miles east of Interstate 5 on West Panoche Road.
PEC is a 400-megawatt (MW) natural gas-fired, simple-cycle generating facility consisting of four General Electric LMS100 combustion turbine generators (CTGs) and associated equipment. Each CTG is equipped with water injection to the combustors for reducing production of oxides of nitrogen, a selective catalytic reduction system with 19 percent aqueous ammonia injection to further reduce NOx emissions, and an oxidation catalyst to reduce carbon monoxide.
Auxiliary equipment includes inlet air foggers with evaporative coolers, a step-up transformer, compressed air system, control enclosures, aqueous ammonia storage tank, natural gas fuel system, water treatment system, water storage tanks, wastewater system, and site stormwater drainage system. Process wastewater is disposed of using a deep well injection system.
Offsite improvements associated with PEC include a 400-foot paved access road south of West Panoche Road to the plant site, 2,400 linear feet of gas pipeline, a 300-foot transmission line to the Panoche Substation, and the Pacific Gas and Electric expansion of the Panoche Substation by approximately 1.1 acres south of the existing substation boundary.
- Order Approving a Petition to Modify the Existing Panoche Substation by an Additional 6.5 Acres to Improve the Long-term Reliability of the Substation, TN 50672, 03/26/2009, Order No. 09-0325-02, Commission approval to modify the approved substation expansion by an additional 6.5 acres.
- Order Approving a Petition to Amend to Install Three Storage Tanks, TN 203889, 03/15/2016, Order No. 15-0311-05, Commission approval to install three storage tanks, ranging from 250,000 gallons to 500,000 gallons that would temporarily store wastewater during operational periods when the net wastewater production exceeds the injection well capacity.
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.
Contacts
Project Manager
Keith Winstead
CME@energy.ca.gov
(Please enter project name in the email subject line)
916-208-3849
Public Participation Questions
Public Advisor
publicadvisor@energy.ca.gov
916-957-7910
Media Inquiries
Media & Public Communications Office
mediaoffice@energy.ca.gov
916-654-4989