Edison, BP to Unveil Carson Power Project

Edison International and energy giant BP will unveil development plans today for a massive “alternative energy project” to be built at BP’s Carson oil refinery.

Edison and BP will jointly develop a $1-billion power plant capable of producing 500 megawatts of electricity, the Wall Street Journal reported on its website Thursday.

The plant would employ a relatively new process that burns petroleum coke, a refining byproduct, and captures and reuses carbon dioxide instead of releasing it into the air, the newspaper reported.

The relatively clean process is cheaper than using natural gas, which is burned to produce more than 40% of the state’s power.

Executives at London-based BP and Rosemead-based Edison wouldn’t confirm the report or discuss their plans.

However, the project is sufficiently important to warrant the attendance of John Bryson, Edison’s chairman and chief executive, and BP America CEO Ross Pillari, along with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

All are slated to attend an event this morning to announce the project, according to a news advisory from the two companies.

Although a plant wouldn’t come online for several years, it would be welcome news in Southern California, where electricity supplies have been tight.

In the areas served by Edison’s Southern California Edison utility, power supplies are considered thin but adequate for this summer, but hotter-than-normal temperatures could trigger shortages, according to a December report by the California Energy Commission.

BP’s Carson refinery is the state’s largest, with a daily processing capacity of 275,000 barrels of crude oil. The plant supplies more than a quarter of the gasoline consumed in Los Angeles.

The company’s 430-acre site is also home to a 400-megawatt cogeneration facility that powers the refinery and feeds the region’s power grid.