California power plants still have to meet SWRCB deadlines
Molly Peterson
Southern California Public Radio
12/15/2010
State water officials have advanced a plan to end the use of sea water for cooling coastal power plants.
The practice is called "once-through cooling" – power plants suck sea water in, use it to cool engines and turbines and return it to the ocean. The discharge water is devoid of sea life, including tiny organisms that form the base of the food web.
Power plants have 15 years to change the way their systems work. Their options include using water only on site, and using air as a coolant.
But some operators – including the L.A. Department of Water and Power – have asked for more time. Three DWP plants sit on Santa Monica Bay.
The State water resources control board voted not to extend the deadlines. Environmentalists are claiming victory. They argue that there's no reason DWP and other coastal plants can flout federal law.
