Time for AES to Pitch In

The state’s condition for letting the operator of a Huntington Beach power plant fire up two mothballed generators was that the power be sold within California because of the state’s energy crisis. Now a state agency that set the terms mistakenly has backed away.

The decision on restarting the plant was not easy in the first place because of local concern that the plant’s two operating generators were fouling the ocean. If so, there’s now a good chance the water pollution will increase in an area that already has had problems.

Still, the two Huntington Beach units can provide nearly 10% of the 5,000 megawatts Gov. Gray Davis said he would bring into service this summer to avert an electricity shortage and rolling blackouts. The state should require frequent sampling of water quality and ensure that the operators of the facility, AES Corp., spend the money required to monitor its operations, and address any problems.

The energy crisis also became the state’s justification for dropping the in-state sales condition. State officials said letting the company sell the power where it wanted would get the generators on line faster. The company originally agreed to restrict sales from the Huntington Beach operation to California, but later did an about-face when it couldn’t agree with the state on contracts.

The city of Huntington Beach, justifiably worried about the environmental impact, unsuccessfully opposed the company’s plans. The city did persuade the state to limit the license to operate the generators to five years, with the possibility of a five-year renewal, rather than the 10-year license AES wanted.

Southern California Edison shut the generators in 1995, saying they cost too much to run when energy prices were low. The company then was forced to sell the plant under the terms of California’s energy deregulation.

Huntington Beach also was concerned about AES’ record at its Long Beach plant. The company once paid a $17-million fine for allowing too much pollution at that facility.

The state Energy Commission has required that AES spend $1 million to study whether water quality is at risk and an additional $2.5 million to monitor fish deaths caused by its seawater intake system. There also is concern because of a UC Irvine study concluding that the seawater used as coolant may combine with ocean currents to bring sewage released miles offshore back onto the beach.

AES has not had the best relationship with residents near the plant and with city officials in Huntington Beach. If there are more shortages and the company sells its product outside California, relations are unlikely to improve.

But if the company sells within the state even though it doesn’t have to, and makes sure its operations do not pollute, it can make a constructive contribution to addressing California’s crisis.