Kern Power Plant

Kern Power Plant. The Kern Power Plant is a natural gas-fired power plant located in Bakersfield, California, near the Kern River and operated by Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation. The plant is part of the Western Electricity Coordinating Council and is connected to the California Independent System Operator grid, which also includes the Diablo Canyon Power Plant and the Moss Landing Power Plant. The Kern Power Plant is one of several power plants in the region, including the High Desert Power Project and the Mojave Desert-based Victorville Hybrid Power Project.

● Overview

The Kern Power Plant has a generating capacity of 520 MW and is fueled by natural gas supplied by the Kern River Gas Transmission Company and the El Paso Natural Gas Company. The plant uses a General Electric gas turbine and a Westinghouse Electric Company steam turbine to generate electricity, which is then transmitted to the California grid through the Path 15 and Path 26 transmission lines, operated by Western Area Power Administration and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The plant is also connected to the Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project, which includes the Tehachapi Wind Farm and the Cabrillo Power Plant. The Kern Power Plant is part of the California Energy Commission's Western Renewable Energy Generation Information System and is subject to regulations by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the California Public Utilities Commission.

● History

The Kern Power Plant was commissioned in 1985 by Bechtel Group, a global engineering and construction company, and was originally owned by Southern California Edison, a subsidiary of Edison International. The plant was later acquired by Pacific Gas and Electric Company in 1998 as part of a larger asset swap with Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric. The plant has undergone several upgrades and modifications over the years, including the installation of a new Selective Catalytic Reduction system in 2003 to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions, as required by the Clean Air Act and the California Air Resources Board. The plant has also been certified by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council.

● Operations

The Kern Power Plant is operated by Pacific Gas and Electric Company and is staffed by a team of engineers and technicians from General Electric, Westinghouse Electric Company, and Siemens. The plant operates on a combined cycle basis, using a gas turbine to generate electricity and a heat recovery steam generator to produce steam, which is then used to power a steam turbine. The plant is fueled by natural gas supplied by the Kern River Gas Transmission Company and the El Paso Natural Gas Company, and is connected to the California grid through the Path 15 and Path 26 transmission lines. The plant is also subject to regular inspections and maintenance by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

● Environmental Impact

The Kern Power Plant has a significant environmental impact due to its greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution from the combustion of natural gas. The plant is subject to regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board, and is required to report its emissions to the Toxic Release Inventory and the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program. The plant has implemented several measures to reduce its environmental impact, including the installation of a Selective Catalytic Reduction system to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions and a fabric filter to reduce particulate matter emissions. The plant is also participating in the California Cap-and-Trade Program and the Western Climate Initiative.

● Technology

The Kern Power Plant uses a combined cycle power generation technology, which combines a gas turbine and a steam turbine to generate electricity. The plant is equipped with a General Electric gas turbine and a Westinghouse Electric Company steam turbine, and uses a heat recovery steam generator to produce steam from the exhaust gases of the gas turbine. The plant also uses a Selective Catalytic Reduction system to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions and a fabric filter to reduce particulate matter emissions. The plant is connected to the California grid through the Path 15 and Path 26 transmission lines, which are operated by Western Area Power Administration and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The plant is also participating in the Smart Grid initiative, which includes the use of advanced metering infrastructure and grid management systems from companies like Cisco Systems and Oracle Corporation. Category:Power plants in California