The California Energy Commission was scheduled to vote on the project today. CalPeak Power of San Diego has asked the commission to approve a 49-megawatt plant on Enterprise Street near Vineyard Avenue. The state limits the number of hours some plants can operate to keep pollution at a minimum. A 44-megawatt peaker plant being built on West Mission Avenue in Escondido by Ramco Inc. will be allowed to operate no more than 16 hours per day. That plant is permitted to emit up to 5 parts per million of nitrogen oxide, although its actual emissions are expected to be slightly lower, said Dale Mesple, a Ramco consultant.
Nitrogen oxide is a component of smog.
The CalPeak plant, if approved, would be restricted to 2 parts per million of nitrogen oxide. It was generally assumed that the CalPeak plant would operate under similar time restrictions as the Ramco plant. The potential for air pollution was among the chief concerns of residents who spoke at the City Council hearings on the Ramco project and at the energy commission hearings about the CalPeak plant. That number equals 24 hours a day. The actual number of hours would depend on the requirements of the state's Independent System Operator, which manages the energy grid.