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NEWS RELEASE
FROM THE
CALIFORNIA ENERGY COMMISSION

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For immediate release: December 19, 2001
Contact: Chris Davis - 916-654-4989


Energy Commission Starts Review of
Riverside, Kings County Power Projects 
Sacramento - The California Energy Commission today voted to start review of two new power projects proposed for Kings and Riverside Counties. 

In two separate votes, the five-member Commission found power plant license applications complete and ready for the Energy Commission staff's comprehensive 12-month review process. The first application is from Duke Energy Avenal, LLC, for a 600-megawatt power plant in the City of Avenal, Kings County. The second is for Calpine's Inland Empire Energy Center, LLC's 670-megawatt project near Perris, in Riverside County. 

Avenal Energy Project 

The site for Duke's Avenal Energy Project is in the agricultural region of the southwest San Joaquin Valley. The project would be built on 25 acres just south of the Fresno County line, about two miles east of Interstate 5. The site is within the City of Avenal in an area zoned for industrial use. The land is currently irrigated agricultural, as is the surrounding property.

The proposed Avenal power plant project would be a combined-cycle generating plant consisting of two natural gas-fired turbines with heat-recovery steam generators and a General Electric steam turbine. The plant would use a wet cooling tower process, consuming approximately 2,250 acre-feet of water annually. The Kern County Water Agency would provide inland surface cooling water to the plant via the San Luis Canal. Local water would be used as a backup for the system. Electricity from the plant would be connected to the transmission grid through a 7,000-foot transmission line. Natural gas will be supplied to the project by a 7,000-foot, underground pipeline to the PG&E Kettleman Compressor Station. 

The Avenal Energy Project will be considered under the Commission's 12-month review process. The Committee that will oversee the review is comprised of Energy Commission Chairman William Keese as Presiding Member, and Commissioner Michal (spelled correctly) Moore as Associate Member. 

Information about the Avenal Energy Project is available on the Energy Commission's website at:

www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/avenal/ 


Inland Empire Energy Center

Inland Empire Energy Center, LLC, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Calpine Corporation. The proposed Inland Empire Energy Center project would be located on a 46-acre parcel in Romoland, six miles west of the City of Hemet. The project is expected to take two years to build at a cost of $325-$400 million.

The plant would consist of two natural gas-fired, combustion turbine generators with heat recovery steam generators, a steam turbine generator and state-of-the-art pollution control equipment. Natural gas would be delivered to the plant through a mile-long, 20-inch pipeline. 

The Inland Empire Energy Center will also be considered under the Commission's 12-month process. Energy Commissioner Robert Pernell will serve as Presiding Member of the Committee reviewing the project. Commissioner Michal Moore will serve as Associate Member.

More information on the Inland Empire Energy Center is available on the Energy Commission website at:

www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/inlandempire/ 


Public involvement is a very important part of the Energy Commission review process. To find out how to participate, call the Energy Commission's Public Adviser, Roberta Mendonca, at 916-654-4489, toll free at 800-822-6228, or by e-mail at: pao@energy.state.ca.us. 


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Farideh Namjou
Web Development Team
California Energy Commission
916-654-4989

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