Project Owner
Luz Solar Partners IX, Ltd.
Docket Number
89-AFC-01
Capacity
80 MW
Location
San Bernardino County
Technology
Solar Thermal
Project Status
Operational (Solar Thermal)
Project Type
Application for Certification
Project Description

The Solar Energy Generating System (SEGS) IX and X project is located at 43880 Harper Lake Road, 7 miles northeast of Highway 58 on a 500-acre site. Additional SEGS projects were planned in the immediate vicinity, but were cancelled for various reasons, including the lack of transmission capacity from the area.

SEGS IX is an 80-megawatt (MW) field of parabolic mirrors supplemented by natural gas to produce electricity. Heat from the mirrors is concentrated on tubes of heat transfer fluid (HTF) which is circulated to steam boilers to produce electricity. During the peak season, the project generates 80 MW of electricity to the Southern California Edison transmission grid. Mirror washing takes place Monday through Friday from 8:00 pm to 5:30 am.

In 1991, the project owner was unable to finance SEGS X because of financial and regulatory constraints; therefore, SEGS X was never built.

On July 8, 2020, the CEC approved a Post-Certification Amendment (PTA) (TN 233900) approving the construction of a battery energy storage system (BESS), with a maximum capacity of up to 80 MW, between the SEGS VIII and IX facilities.

On September 11, 2020, a PTA was docketed (TN 234663) proposing to remove SEGS X from the final CEC Decision, effectively ending the CEC’s jurisdiction over this portion of the SEGS IX and X site. Construction for SEGS X was initiated but the facility was never built and did not become operational. The project owner has indicated they may redevelop the SEGS X portion of the site for a solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery energy storage project. Permitting for such redevelopment would be under the jurisdiction of the County of San Bernardino.

On October 13, 2021, the CEC approved Luz Solar Partners IX, Ltd. (project owner) post-certification petition to amend the Final Decision for SEGS XI – X. The approval modified the site boundary to exclude the area of SEGS X and removed all references to SEGS X in the conditions of certification in the Final Decision.

 

  • Approval of Change of Owner/Operator for SEGS IX, Not in Docket, 06/22/1990, Staff approval of new operator, S9 Leasing.
  • Approval to replace HTF Heater Burners, Not in Docket, 03/20/1991, Order No. 91-0320-09f, Commission approval to replace KTI HTF heater-Alzeta burners with Broach Heater-Coen burners.
  • Approval of Change to HTF Heaters for Safety and Reliability, Not in Docket, 06/10/1992, Order No. 92-0610-01, Commission approval to improve HTF heaters to make them more reliable and safer.
  • Approval to Install a Gasoline and Diesel Dispensing Facility for the SEGS Units VIII and IX Projects, Not in Docket, 10/10/1991, Staff approval to install a gasoline and diesel dispensing facility to provide fuel solely for vehicles and equipment associated with the operation and maintenance of the SEGS Units VIII and IX projects.
  • Approval to Modify the Heat Transfer Fluid Heaters for the SEGS VIII and IX Projects, Not in Docket, 03/12/1992, Staff approval of changes to the Heat Transfer Fluid Heaters to improve the operational reliability and safety of the heat fluid transfer heaters for both the SEGS VIII and IX projects.
  • Approval of Change in Operator, Not in Docket, 06/16/1992, Staff approval to appoint UC Operating Services as the new operator for both the SEGS VIII and IX Projects.
  • Order Accepting Harper Lake Company VIII and IX as General Partner, Not in Docket, 06/24/1992, Order No. 92-0624-01, Commission approval of Harper Lake Company VIII and IX as general partner of both the SEGS VIII and IX projects.
  • Notice of Post Certification Project Change for Dust Control Water for the SEGS VIII and IX Projects, Not in Docket, 04/05/1993, Staff approval of change in Water Source for Dust Control at the SEGS VIII and IX sites for a period of approximately four months.
  • Order Approving Modification of Decommissioning Condition of Certification 1, TN 2550, 03/29/1996, Order No. 96-0327-03, Commission approval to change Decommissioning Condition of Certification 1 to eliminate the $100,000 fund and use the value of the project's heat transfer fluid as assurance to cover the cost of stabilizing and securing the project site in the event of an unanticipated termination of operations.
  • Order Approving Change of Operator of The SEGS VIII and SEGS IX Projects, Not in Docket, 03/18/1998, Order No. 98-0318-01a, Commission approval of change in operator to ESI Operating Services for the SEGS VIII and SEGS IX Projects.
  • Approval to Build Water Treatment Building at SEGS VIII and SEGS IX Facilities, Not in Docket, 04/29/1999, Staff approval to construct a new building and water treatment system in the common area of the SEGS VIII and SEGS IX projects.
  • Approval to Construct Firewalls at the SEGS VIII and SEGS IX Facilities, Not in Docket, 07/26/1999, Staff approval to construct firewalls between the transformers near the power block of the SEGS VIII and SEGS IX projects.
  • Notice of Insignificant Project Change Approval of Firewalls, TN 11469, 07/26/1999, Staff approval to construct firewalls between transformers near power block.
  • Order Approving a Petition to Amend Biological Resources Condition BIO-11k, TN 14662, 05/06/2000, Order No. 00-0426-10, Commission approval to change Biological Resources condition of certification BIO-11k.
  • Adoption Order Approving Air Quality Modifications for both the SEGS VIII and SEGS IX Projects, TN 21007, 06/19/2001, Order No. 01-0510-09, Commission approval to change Air Quality conditions of certification regarding NOx Emissions for both the SEGS VIII and SEGS IX projects.
  • Approval of Elimination of 16 Hours-Per-Day Limit on Fossil Fuel Electrical Generation at SEGS VIII and IX Facilities, Not in Docket, 11/05/2001, Staff approval to eliminate 16 hours-per-day limit on fossil fuel at the SEGS VIII and SEGS IX projects
  • Order Approving a Petition to Amend Biological Resources Condition BIO-11k, TN 36082, 12/14/2005, Order No 05-1103-02, Commission approval to change Biological Resources condition of certification BIO-11k. The modification will put into effect an agreement signed by representatives of the Bureau of Land Management, the project owner, and Energy Commission staff.
  • Notice of Determination for Approval to Add New Foundation and Containment Structure for a Spare Transformer for Both SEGS VIII and SEGS IX Projects, TN 67282, 09/24/2012, Staff approval to add a containment structure that would be located between the solar fields of SEGS VIII and SEGS IX, for the storage of a spare transformer.
  • Order Approving Transfer Of Ownership From Luz Partners Ltd., IX, To Terra-Gen, LLC, TN 224788, 09/24/2018, Order No. 18-0921-01e, Commission approval of ownership transfer from Luz Partners LTD., IX to Terra-Gen, LLC.
  • Order Approving the Construction of a Batter Energy Storage System for both SEGS VIII and SEGS IX Projects, TN 233900, 07/16/2020, Order No. 20-0708-04, Commission approval to construct a battery energy storage system, with a maximum capacity of up to 80 MW, between the SEGS VIII and IX facilities to serve both facilities.
  • Order Approving Decommissioning Plan and County Oversight of Decommissioning Activities, TN 234364, 08/19/2020, Order No. 20-0812-04, Commission approval of Decommissioning Plan and County oversight of decommissioning activities.
  • Order Terminating Certification, TN 243041, 05/11/2022, Order No: 22-0511-01d, Commission order terminating CEC certification of the SEGS VIII project.

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 (89-AFC-01)

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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