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Morro Bay power plant to shut down in February

November 9, 2013

morro bay stacksDynegy announced plans to retire its 50-year old Morro Bay natural gas-fired power plant in February because the plant is no longer profitable.

Company spokeswoman Katy Sullivan said Dynegy was unable to get a long-term power sales contract to keep the 650-megawatt plant economically viable. In addition, in order to comply with a recently implemented California policy that restricts and phases out the use of estuary, delta and ocean water for cooling coastal power plants, the aging facility would require a significant investment.

There are currently 30 to 40 people working at the plant. Dynegy officials said employees will be offered jobs at other facilities otherwise they will be given a severance payment.

Dynegy officials have not yet decided what they will do with the property.

 


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As a wealthy retiree from elsewhere, let me be the first to say “good riddance” to that pox upon my easy days.


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this ain’t about you, rackit. no offense.


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Farm it out to Hollywood… let them have a big-budget blockbuster and blow the thing up like that God-awful house in the last Iron Man movie. Boom! Into the sea…


And in Simpsons/Springfield fashion, quadruple charge them for everything and make up new business licenses. ;-)


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Excellent idea! they could do a remake of the “Guns of Navarone.”


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This site was estimated at $55 million to clean up when Morro Bay had a chance to upgrade it 10 years ago. The power company has 10 years before they have to do anything to the plant. Now thanks to the same people who support Irons, Smukler, and Christine Johnson there will be an empty shell of a plant sitting there for decades. Morro Bay would have never been incorporated as a city without the income from this plant. Today, we’re just a little further down the path to bankruptcy.


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Your negative attitude, while not unexpected, is perplexing. Upon what foundation do you base your prediction that the “empty shell” of the plant will be “sitting there for DECADES”?


Is THAT what YOU want? Or do you have a better idea for what can happen at that site?


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He probably read what I and others read in the paper this morning. They stated that there are no immediate plans for the stacks to come down any time soon. Furthermore they stated that they may pursue the plant for other energy uses.


Also if and when they do decide to mothball it, it isn’t being pessimistic in the time it will take to come down, it is being REALISTIC!!! Stuff like this will most likely have to have permits with the Coastal Commission and other Gov. agency’s, (I.e. Army Corp of Engineers) and that could lead to years in planning before anything happens.


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Decades? Maybe, maybe not. I wouldn’t bet on it. I don’t see what makes you so sure. I’ll check back with you in 20+a years and we’ll see.


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Where is the money coming from for demolition and environmental remediation? He is right, this will sit for decades.


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Let me guess? An evil plot masterminded by Betty Winholtz, Katie Lichtig, and Walter Heath?


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Really? Not one “like”? It’s a funny comment if I do say so myself.


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The real issue is the loss of revenue for the city.


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Morro Bay will survive without it.


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It probablyy was, sad to say. Perhaps looking at Betty’s votes as council member related to the plant would be helpful. Rest assured she will sue everyone directly and indirectly involved in redevelopment of the site.


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i knew this was her fault somehow


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2 Million? Loss of revenue for the County too


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It will be converted into a museum, community forum, or something of this nature. My guess is this is not coming down in this economy and if it does, it will cost all of us plenty, again!


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They could put ziplines on them bad boys and we could charge peopple from Bakersfield 10 dollar a head to take a ride on it ($8 for kids).


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Remove the stacks intact, and ship them to third world countries with coastlines. They could be converted to light houses.


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Shipping & handling would be considerable, I would have to think.


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These smoke stacks are to Morro Bay what the Golden Gate Bridge is to San Francisco. The stacks have been there since the 1950’s and are as much a part of the town than any/all of us.


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I’ve always wanted to climb one.


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Now there’s an idea — the world’s biggest artificial climbing wall. You could attract climbers from all over, maybe hold competitions? The problem would be to keep them from migrating to the Rock.


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base jump! wing suit to the sand spit


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if John Barta had his way, one of the stacks would become a lookout for the tourists to gaze upon the bay…


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at the rates they charge and the demand how can it not be profitable


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Prediction: In 2030 it will still be standing.


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Only rather than being maintained and productive it will be a decaying and dead ruin.


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Sam, you can be pessimistic if chose, but I think it would be more productive of you if you chose to spend your efforts visualizing something worthwhile in that location, rather than the ugly vision you a projecting.


The possibilities for what can replace that plant are endless. This could very well turn out to be a good thing, if great minds come together in a productive, optimistic attitude, rather than resigning themselves to suffer from something “decaying and dead.”


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We could build a homeless shelter there. it would get the off our darn creek. i went down there the other day and it was like a subdivision.


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Also, tear the damned thing down. It is a visual blight upon a very nice area.


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Your comments suggest that you are a transplant to the area. People like YOU are the ultimate blight on this very nice area. You want electricity so long as its produced elsewhere. Shame on you.


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Sam, your bigoted attitude toward outsiders is shameful and the world should know that it does not represent the attitude of all of the long time residents of SLO County.


Unless you happen to be associated with the architect of the plant, I don’t see why you take such offense at someone critical of what remains of the power plant.


For one thing, architecturally, it really doesn’t fit in. In fact, it is not really architecture, it is just a building designed for a purpose, a purpose that is now obsolete. It is reasonable to ask that the building be removed and/or replaced.


Sam, you owe ironyman an apology.


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I agree that it doesn’t architecturally fit in but then again when has any industrial type plant been designed to architecturally fit in???


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Not enough are. But that’s no excuse for blowing off the entire concept and giving us cheap, cookie cutter crap along one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in the world.


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aka known as xenophobic localism


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Furthermore, Sam, there is nothing unusual about wanting electricity that is “produced elsewhere.” In fact, because of reluctance to develop solar power and other means for property owners to produce their own energy, that is EXACTLY the way it is for the vast majority of Americans. That is the system we have been offered by the likes of PG&E and the people who ran the Morro Bay power plant. They DESIGN their plants to provide electricity to people who live far away from the source.


Your problem isn’t with “transplants to the area”, it is with a system that you seem to wholly subscribe to and promote. The real problem is closer than you think and has nothing to do with immigrants.


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Your last comment about having nothing to do with immigrants is spot on!! WHERE did he state ANYWHERE in his post about immigrants?


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Answer:


Here is what Sam wrote:


“Your comments suggest that you are a transplant to the area. People like YOU are the ultimate blight on this very nice area.”


Transplant = immigrant.


Sam owes an apology to all the “transplants” to this area who he has publicly labeled as the “ultimate blight” to our region.


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The Anti-Business fringe in Morro Bay pushed this out with it’s agenda many years ago. Look a bit at the history of Morro Bay along with the lack of progress, deteriorating condition of the streets, the number of vacant storefronts and the state of our city Budget. But hey, we have a lot of nice bike paths.


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What kind of “progress” are you hoping for? More smoke stacks along the coast?


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Only a Morro Bay self appointed activist could link that statement to any immigration debate. Just a weak attempt to marginalize an opposing opinion when you lack facts.


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I think its a illigitmate question, probiz. I think you should answer it.


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Did you mean “legitimate”? I don’t think he’s going to answer it either way.


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