Dive Summary:
- California utility regulators have denied two of the three power purchase agreements being sought by San Diego Gas & Electric; SDG&E says that the troubled San Onofre power station should be taken into account.
- The only request approved by the state's Public Utility Commission was for a 25-year agreement on a 45-MW repowering plant.
- Two other contract proposals - with the Pio Pico Energy Center and Quail Brush Power - were denied because the SDG&E didn't demonstrate adequate need for additional power before 2018.
From the article:
SDG&E said it was disappointed with the PUC decision. "Both were local peaking facility projects that resulted from a competitive solicitation process and are needed to provide local reliability," it said in a statement.
"Peaking" power plants can start up quickly to supply power during periods of high demand or to back-stop renewable power from solar and wind facilities. ...