The fire at the Gateway Energy Storage facility was spotted around 3:45 p.m., but firefighters were unable to enter the building because conditions were considered unsafe
The California Energy Commission (CEC) is moving ahead with considering a new 300 MW natural gas-fired peaking generation plant adjacent to an existing 600 MW baseload gas-fired plant in Otay Mesa, south of San Diego near the international border. Pio Pico Energy Center is indicative of a move away from the coastal power plant locations in the state and use of sea water for cooling, which is now being phased out. Pio Pico is a revised project on a new site following the withdrawal of an earlier project in the City of Chula Vista, which is losing an existing 600 MW gas-fired baseload plant along the coast due to a redevelopment by the city and Port of San Diego. The CEC will hold a workshop at the Chula Vista City Hall Wednesday to discuss the latest proposal to site a new gas-fired peaking plant adjacent to Calpine Corp.'s Otay Mesa Energy Center, which started commercial operations nearly two years ago under a 10-year tolling agreement with San Diego Gas and Electric Co.