Willow Pass Generating Station

Docket Number:

08-AFC-06 (Application For Certification)

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Project Status: Terminated October 19, 2015

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Committee Overseeing This Case:

Karen Douglas, Commissioner, Presiding Member

TBD, Commissioner, Associate Member

Hearing Officer: Ken Celli

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Key Dates

• 6/30/2008 - Application for Certification filed with Energy Commission.
• 10/08/2008 - Commission accepts Application as complete and "data adequate".
• 06/11/2014 - Commission order suspending project until June 30, 2015
• June 30, 2015 - Motion to Terminate filed by Energy Commission
• October 19, 2015 - License Terminated by Energy Commission

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT

Willow Pass Generating Station (Willow Pass) would be a new, approximately 550-megawatt (MW) dry-cooled, natural gas-fired electric power facility located in the city of Pittsburg in Contra Costa County, California. Development of Willow Pass would entail the construction of two generating units and ancillary systems including, adjacent electric and gas transmission lines, and water and wastewater pipelines. If approved, construction would occur over a 34-month period (from October 2009 through July 2012) and would cost approximately $585 million dollars. Commercial operation would commence in the summer of 2012.

Project Site: Willow Pass would be located two miles west of the Pittsburg city center within the existing Pittsburg Power Plant. Currently, the Pittsburg Power Plant site is occupied by seven generating units, three of which are still in operation. Willow Pass would occupy a 26-acre parcel adjacent to the existing generating units.

Generation Units: Willow Pass would consist of two power blocks, each containing one Siemens Flex Plant 10 (FP10) combined-cycle unit. The combined generating capacity of the two power blocks would be approximately 550 MW (net). The units are expected to operate at a 40 to 50 percent capacity factor and would use air-cooled heat exchanger (ACHE) technology to reduce water consumption.

Energy Commission Facility Certification Process

The California Energy Commission is the lead agency (for licensing thermal power plants 50 megawatts and larger) under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has a certified regulatory program under CEQA. Under its certified program, the Energy Commission is exempt from having to prepare an environmental impact report. Its certified program, however, does require environmental analysis of the project, including an analysis of alternatives and mitigation measures to minimize any significant adverse effect the project may have on the environment.

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