California Turns to Natural Gas, Renewables to Replace Energy Lost from SONGS Closure

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) released a proposal on March 13 that authorizes Southern California Edison (SCE) and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) to procure energy supplies to meet Southern California's energy needs. CPUC's proposal must go through a 30-day comment period, after which the commission will finalize its plan.

When the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) closed earlier this year, California lost more than 2,150 megawatts (MW). It is only recently that plans have begun to solidify to replace the lost power.

The closure of the plant has generated strong debate as to how the state should fill the gap. Much of the debate has centered on the balance of traditional fuels and carbon-free renewables. As many expected, natural gas will be the primary energy source used to fuel the replacement sources.

Many environmentalists say that renewable energy sources could be used. While natural gas does emit less carbon than coal, it would not be as clean-burning as the retired nuclear plant, which had been carbon-free.

SCE has been ordered to procure between 500 and 700 MW, and SDG&E has been ordered to produce between 500 and 800 MW by 2022 to meet local capacity needs. Of the total electricity they must produce, roughly 600 MW must come from California's preferred energy sources, including renewables and energy storage. The rest would most likely be generated by natural gas, which is relatively affordable and reliable when compared with renewables.

Production at SONGS ended in January 2012, after a small radiation leak led to the discovery of hundreds of damaged tubes that carried radioactive water. It was closed permanently last year, after debate over whether it was safe to reopen the plant.

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