Power Plant in Redlands Puts Out First Megawatts

By Jack Katzanek, The Press-Enterprise, Riverside, Calif.

Dec. 13–A gas-fired power plant in Redlands that will eventually turn out enough electricity to serve about 650,000 homes has started operating.

Southern California Edison, which owns the Mountainview power plant, threw the switch Saturday, firing up one of the two units, spokesman Gil Alexander said. The second unit will go on line early next year.

The plant is able to produce 1,054 megawatts of power. A megawatt — 1,000 watts — of electricity is enough to power about 650 average-size homes.

The continuing population growth of Inland Southern California made the plant necessary. Southern California Edison estimates the electricity use in San Bernardino and Riverside counties is increasing at about 4 percent a year — twice as fast as the other areas the company serves.

Construction of the plant became a priority after the electricity crisis of 2001, which caused state officials to order power outages in some areas.

The additional power is “significant, especially in Southern California, where it’s been a little tighter,” Gregg Fishman, spokesman for the California Independent System Operator, said by phone.

Mountainview’s output will mean Edison can produce 6,000 megawatts from the plants it owns and operates.

The plant uses the heat produced by its combustion turbines to heat water and drive steam turbines. Known as a “combined-cycle” plant, it is considered more environmentally friendly than conventional gas generators.

Edison is buying power from Mountainview Power Co., a wholly owned subsidiary that owns the facility. Construction of the plant, which was built by Bechtel Corp., started in September 2001.

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