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

The Sutter Energy Center (SEC) is located approximately 7 miles southwest of Yuba City, Sutter County, along South Township Road in a rural area that is surrounded by orchards to the east and rice fields to the west.

SEC was licensed as the Sutter Power Project. Subsequently the facility name changed to Sutter Energy Center. SEC is a combined-cycle, natural gas-fired 578-megawatt (MW) facility consisting of two combustion turbine generators, two heat recovery steam generators with duct burners, and a steam turbine generator.

SEC is inter-connected with the Western Area Power Administration’s 230-kilovolt (kV) transmission system at the O’Banion Substation, which is located approximately 2.3 miles southwest of the SEC site via an aboveground, 3.9-mile-long, 230 kV generator tie-line.

Adjacent and to the east of SEC is a 49.5 MW cogeneration facility called Greenleaf Unit 1 (owned by Starwood Energy Group) that is permitted by Sutter County and operated separately from SEC.

Sutter Energy Center went into cold layup in 2016 and subsequently restarted operations in 2019.

  • Approval of Request to Change a Portion of the Natural Gas Pipeline Route, TN 14542, 05/02/2000, Staff approval to install a new 8-inch diameter, 700-foot gas pipeline be installed connecting the Greenleaf 1 facility and the Sutter Energy Center.
  • Notice of Approval for Combined Greenleaf and Sutter Energy Center Project Water Treatment System, TN 233439, 04/06/2004, Staff approval to combine water treatment facilities of the Sutter Energy Center and the Greenleaf 1 Power Plants.
  • Order Approving a Petition to transfer ownership to the Calpine Construction Financing Co., L. P., Not in Docket, 04/26/2000, Order 00-0426-01c, Commission approval to transfer ownership of SEC project from Calpine Corporation to Calpine Construction Finance Co., LP.
  • Order Approving Amendment to Change Startup Emission Limits and Ammonia Injection Rate Limit, TN 17554, 12/21/2000, Order 00-1206-07, Amend AQ conditions to eliminate the distinction between hot and cold startups and apply one set of emission limits to all startups.
  • Order Approving Amendment to Change Startup Emission Limits and Other Air Quality Conditions, TN 29100, 06/18/2003, Order No. 03-0611-01k, Commission approval of to modify Air Quality emission and performance limits for startup and shutdown of gas combustion turbines, other technical changes.
  • Order Approving a Petition to Change Measurement of CO Emissions During Startup, TN 31841, 07/01/2004, Order No. 04-0630-01, Commission approval of minor modification to condition of certification AQ-32(11) to change the current one-hour hourly limit on carbon monoxide (CO) emissions during startup to a three-hour rolling average.
  • Order Approving Transfer of Ownership of the pipeline to CPN Pipeline Company, TN 63148, 12/16/2011, Order No. 11-1214-06, Commission approval of ownership change of SEC pipeline from Calpine Construction Finance Company, LP to CPN Pipeline Company.
  • Order Approving a Petition to Modify the Sutter Energy Center to Install the Grimes Natural Gas Pipeline, TN 63237, 12/27/2011, Order 11-1214-06b, Commission approval to install the Grimes natural gas pipeline to allow the Project Owner to use natural gas from the Grimes natural gas field in the Sacramento Basin north and west of the project site.
  • Order Approving Finance Company, L.P. Change in Ownership of the Sutter Power Plant, TN 200413, 09/06/2013, Order No. 13-0827-01b, Commission approval to change in ownership of SEC project from Calpine Construction Finance Company, LP to CCFC Sutter Energy, LLC.
  • Order Approving Petition To Modify Existing Air Quality Condition of Certification AQ-32, TN 224785, 09/24/2018, Order No. 18-0921-01a, Commission approval to modify existing condition of certification AQ-32 to enhance operational flexibility by providing cumulative annual and quarterly limits to startup and shutdown operations, rather than caps that apply individually to each of the SEC’s two CTGs.
  • Statement of Staff Approval to Modify Condition of Certification AQ-32, TN 233923, 07/17/2020, Staff approval to remove subsections 5 and 6 of Condition of Certification AQ-32 to conform the condition to requested changes to the SEC’s Title V Operating Permit.

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 (97-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

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

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