MINUTES
of the
POWER PLANT TASK FORCE
Thursday, March 24, 2005 at 4:00 p.m.
City Hall, Room 408
San Francisco, CA
1. CALL TO ORDER, ROLL CALL
The meeting was called to order at 4:10 p.m.
Present:
John Borg Dana Lanza
Joe Boss Toby Levy
Philip DeAndrade Richard Millet
John Kosinsky Karen Pierce
Absent: Steven Moss
2. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES
The minutes of the meetings of December 2, 2004 and February 2, 2005 were approved as written.
3. DEPARTMENT REPORTS RE STATUS OF ELECTRICITY PLAN
Karen Kubick, PUC Project Manager for the CTs, assisted by consultant Gary Rubenstein, Sierra Research, reported on the progress of the plan.
CT project represents a portion of Energy Resource Plan that falls under City-owned generation. ISO has devised a roadmap that sets a schedule for the shutdown of the older,
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March 24, 2005
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in-City plants. Fourteen different transmission projects are under way by PG&E and the City must complete the CT projects to secure the removal of the RMR contract for Potrero #3. Looking at summer, 2007 for decommissioning RMR for removal beginning 2008.
With the three CTs, we will utilize the best available control strategy which is the requirement for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, we will interconnect to the Potrero Power Plant substation, and will take off natural gas on Illinois Street. Onsite, there will be a recycled water plant for non-potable process water. Site is four acres, and largest structure will be the 85-foot stack; present Potrero stack is 280 feet high.
Gary Rubenstein, Sierra Research and air quality consultant for the CT project: spoke about what types of pollutants formed by power plants, how they are formed, what the impacts of the peaker project are and how they compare to the state and federal air quality standards.
The analyses that Sierra Research have done show that the health impacts for the energy reliability project is well below any significance levels established for all pollutants under any weather conditions at any location under any operating conditions. Analyses indicate that the project is not going to exceed any of the health base significance levels. Nonetheless, the City is committed to mitigating any impacts in Hunters Point and Bayview.
Ms. Kubek announced that four of the mitigations would include: high-efficiency enhanced street cleaning; wood-stove fireplace retrofits; sodding of parks and playgrounds; and vehicle scrappage. Additional community benefits are still to be defined.
Mr. Boss requested that some kind of air monitor be placed in a residential area for a month by a non-scientific person in order to assess air quality and trust the test method. Ms. Kubek stated she thought it was possible to do in a few locations for a few months. She will report back on the topic at the next meeting.
According to Ms. Kubek, PUC, DOE and DPH will be coordinating the mitigations.
4. TASK FORCE POSITION RE CTs
Chair De Andrade introduced a draft resolution for Task Force discussion that he had created with input by Mr. Borg, Mr. Boss and Deputy City Attorney Joe Como. Chair DeAndrade introduced a draft resolution for Task Force discussion that he had created
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Minutes
March 24, 2005
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with Mr. Borg, Mr. Boss and Deputy City Attorney Joe Como. Mr. Millet moved to consider the resolution and Mr. Boss seconded the motion. Chair DeAndrade wants to discuss the resolution at the April meeting and vote on it at a community meeting in May.
After Task Force discussion, Chair DeAndrade would like PG&E and departments to attend next meeting to respond to members concerns; he also would like them along with Mirant to attend the community meeting.
Chair DeAndrade asked members to email suggestions, ideas to staff to include in the draft resolution.
Mr. Boss asked that the City explain what is the agreement with PG&E, what are the impacts from Cal ISO, where is the money coming from, what is the definition of decommissioning? Chair DeAndrade asked Dep. City Atty. Joe Como what would be required for the power plant units to reopen if they were shut down?
Mr. Boss: would like interface with PUC Citizen Advisory Committee, Energy Subcommittee—wants this on next agenda.
5. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 6:00 p.m.
