Docket Number
98-AFC-04
Capacity
585 MW
Location
Kern County
Technology
Simple Cycle
Project Status
Operational (Natural Gas-Fired)
Project Type
Application for Certification
Project Description

The Sunrise Power Project (Sunrise) is located at 12857 Sunrise Power Road in Fellows, Kern County, California, approximately 35 miles southwest of Bakersfield, and one mile southwest of the intersection of State Route 33 and Shale Road. Sunrise was certified by the Energy Commission (CEC) On December 6, 2000 and the facility began operation on June 26, 2001.

Sunrise is a 585-megawatt (MW) combined-cycle, natural gas-fired power plant consisting of two 160 MW (nominal) General Electric Frame 7FA, natural gas-fired combustion turbine generators (CTG1 and CTG2) equipped with Dry Low NOx (DLN) combustors, two heat recovery steam generators with duct firing, one steam turbine generator, selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and oxidation catalyst for CTG1 and CTG2.

On November 19, 2001, the CEC approved a petition (TN 23190) allowing the expansion of Sunrise to a 585 MW combined-cycle power plant. In accordance with Executive Order D-25-01 of Governor (Gray Davis) of the State of California, dated February 8, 2001, the petition was processed as a project amendment rather than as a new application for certification. Construction on the project commenced on December 21, 2001, and the newly reconfigured combined-cycle plant commenced operation in June 1, 2003.

Sunrise was formerly owned by a 50-50 partnership consisting of Edison Mission Energy (EME) and Chevron. NRG acquired 100% of Sunrise in May 2014 when it acquired all EME’s assets and Chevron’s share.

On April 12, 2021, Sunrise Power Company, LLC submitted a “hot gas path” petition with the CEC to upgrade the facility, including turbine upgrades and controls for an increased output of 635 MW.

  • Approval of Minor Relocation of Natural Gas Pipeline, TN 18846, 03/01/2001, Staff approval to relocate the easternmost 0.6 mile of the natural gas pipeline that will serve the project. 
  • Approval of Project Change: Wastewater Recycling Disposal Option Revised Condition of Certification GEO-3, TN 21592, 07/17/2001, Staff approval to add a recycling wastewater disposal option for the existing simple-cycle power plant operations. See TN 21883 for approval of the injection well option. 
  • Approval of Modifications to Cond. of Certification AQ-10, 14 & 15, TN 23604, 12/27/2001, Staff approval to modify air quality Conditions of Certification AQ-10, 14, and 15 in order to clarify and resolve potential conflicts between these conditions concerning continuous emission monitoring and reporting. 
  • Commission Order Approving Ownership Transfer, TN 21202, 06/29/2001, Order No. 01-0510-02, Commission approval of ownership transfer from the Sunrise Power Company to the Sunrise Power Company, LLC. 
  • Commission Order Approving 2.5-mile Underground Pipeline and Two Injection Wells, TN 21883, 08/16/2001, Order No. 01-0808-02, Commission approval to construct a 2.5-mile underground pipeline and two injection wells as a wastewater disposal option for simple cycle operations. 
  • Commission Order Approving the Conversion from Simple-Cycle to Combined-Cycle, TN 23190, 11/26/2001, Order No. 01-1119-01, Commission approval of conversion from simple-cycle power plant to combined-cycle operations. 
  • Commission Order Approving Increase of Simple-Cycle Operation for Baseload Operations to December 31, 2003, TN 23481, 12/14/2001, Order No. 01-1205-02, Commission approval to increase the simple-cycle power plant operating hours to allow for baseload operations to December 31, 2003 and modification of Air Quality conditions of certification. 
  • Approval of Insignificant Project Change to Expand Construction Laydown Area, TN 24570, 02/15/2002, Staff approval to expand existing construction laydown, parking, and borrow areas, and relocation of a small segment of the new 15-mile water line. 
  • Commission Order Approving Amendment to Air Quality Condition of Certification AQ-17, TN 26506, 08/20/2002, Order No. 02-0814-01b, Staff approval to allow for flexible quarterly emission limits for the existing simple-cycle power plant during 2002/2003. Simple-cycle operations are scheduled to cease in the summer 2003, at which time combined-cycle operations will commence. 
  • Approval of Petition to Modify Interconnection at PG&E Midway Buttonwillow Substation in Kern County, TN 28151, 02/04/2003, Staff approval to modify the transmission interconnection at the Pacific Gas and Electric Company's Midway-Buttonwillow substation. 
  • Commission Order Approving Modification to Air Quality Conditions of Certification, TN 28557, 04/17/2003, Order No. 03-0416-01c, Commission approval to modify Air Quality conditions of certification to clarify emission monitoring requirements and to allow for a temporary increase in commissioning emissions. 
  • Approval of Final Water Mitigation Report and Verification Change for Soil & Water-4, TN 29309, 07/11/2003, Staff approval to change the condition of certification verification for Soil & Water-4 to ensure the project maintains a CPM-approved Out-of-Basin Water Supply Plan at all times during commercial operation. 
  • Order Approving a Petition to Amend Air Quality Conditions of Certification, TN 65689, 06/11/2012, Order No. 12-0411-04, Commission approval modify Air Quality conditions of certification to allow project to operate utilizing modified startup and shutdown parameters. 
  • Notice of Determination Petition to Amend to Install a New T1 Communication Line, TN 207312, 01/14/2016, Staff approval to replace Sunrise’s existing T1 communication line, in service since June 2001. 
  • Authorization of Replacement of Continuous Emission Monitoring System Analyzers, TN 238804, 07/12/2021, Staff approval to replace the continuous emissions monitoring system (CEMS) analyzers on both turbine units with new updated analyzers. 

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 (98-AFC-04)

Exhibit 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

Public Participation Questions

Public Advisor
publicadvisor@energy.ca.gov
916-957-7910

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Media & Public Communications Office
mediaoffice@energy.ca.gov
916-654-4989

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