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Background Information on Once-Through Cooling

At its February 9, 2006, meeting, the California State Lands Commission considered resolutions regarding the environmental effects of once-through cooling systems in coastal power plants. The Commission postponed acting on these resolutions until its April meeting to give interested parties additional time to review them. That meeting was held on April 17, 2006, at the Legislative Office Building, 1020 N Street, Room 100, Sacramento, Calif.

Text of the proposed resolution is below. For other information about this proceeding, please visit the State Land Commission's Website.

State Lands Commission Documents

PROPOSED Resolution by the California State Lands Commission Regarding Once-Through Cooling in California Power Plants, proposed April 13, 2006. (PDF file, 3 pages, 71 kb)

State Water Resources Control Board Documents

Scoping Document: Water Quality Control Policy on the Use of Coastal and Estuarine Waters for Power Plant Cooling, March 18, 2008. (PDF file, 97 pages, 1.0 MB)

Scoping Document: Proposed Statewide Policy on Clean Water Act Section 316(b) Regulations, June 13, 2006. (PDF file, 46 pages, 552 kb)

Energy Commission Documents

Letter from California Energy Commission Chairman Jackalyne Pfannenstiel to State Water Resources Control Board Chair Tam Dodoc, along with comments regarding the SWRCB's "Scoping Document," dated May 20, 2008. (PDF file, 18 pages, 350 kb)

California Energy Commission Comments on SWRCB Scoping Document and Proposed Statewide Policy on Clean Water Act 316(b) Rgulations - includes cover letter from Energy Commission Chairman Jackalyne Pfannenstiel to State Water Resources Control Board Chair Tam Dodoc, dated September 25, 2006. (PDF file, 44 pages, 843 kb)

California Energy Commission Executive Director B. B. Blevins' Response to the California State Lands Commission's Proposed Resolution, dated April 11, 2006. (PDF file, 11 pages, 194 kb)

Energy Commission Reports on Power Plant Cooling and Water Use

Understanding Entrainment at Coastal Power Plants: Informing a Program to Study Impacts and Their Reduction, Consultant report, Publication # CEC-500-2007-120. Posted: May 13, 2008. (PDF file, 111 pgs., 1.1 MB)

Assessing Power Plant Cooling Water Intake System Entrainment Impacts, Commission publication # CEC-700-2007-010. (PDF file, 130 pages, 1.8 MB)

Issues and Environmental Impacts Associated with Once-Through Cooling at California's Coastal Power Plants - In Support of the 2005 Environmental Performance Report and the 2005 Integrated Energy Policy Report (Docket # 04-IEP-1), Commission publication # CEC-700-2005-013. (PDF file, 81 pages, 1.5 MB)

APPENDICES A to E for the Report Issues and Environmental Impacts Associated with Once-Through Cooling at California's Coastal Power Plants, Commission publication # CEC-700-2005-013-AP-A. (PDF file, 131 pages, 1.6 MB)

An Assessment of the Studies Used to Detect Impacts to Marine Environments by California's Coastal Power Plants Using Once-Through Cooling - A Plant-by-Plant Review, Draft Consultant Report for the 2004 IEPR, Commission publication # CEC-700-2005-004-D. Note: This report became "Appendix A" of the above report. (PDF file, 72 pages, 1.3 MB)

California Energy Commission Staff Cooling Water Management Program Guidelines for Wet and Hybrid Cooling Towers at Power Plants, Commission publication # CEC-700-2005-025. (PDF file, 10 pages, 199 kb)

Novel Approaches for the Reclamation and Reuse of Power Plant Effluents, Commission Public Interest Energy Research Program final project report, Commission publication # CEC-500-2005-125. (PDF file, 32 pages, 1.0 MB)

Cost and Value of Water Use at Combined-Cycle Power Plants, Commission Public Interest Energy Research Program final project report, publication # CEC-500-2006-034. (PDF file, 134 pages, 1.9 MB)