A proposal to build a hydroelectric power plant in the San Vicente Reservoir near Lakeside goes before the San Diego City Council’s Environment Committee for scrutiny Wednesday.
City staff will brief the committee members on the proposal, ask for comments and request approval of the concept for the project, which is in conjunction with the San Diego County Water Authority.
Called the “San Vicente Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project,” the plan could result in a 500-megawatt power plant, generating enough power to replace the local share of energy that was received from the now-closed San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.
City and Water Authority officials also say the power would generate enough revenue to offset the increasing cost of water in the drought-stricken region. The project would require construction of an upper reservoir that would pour into the existing body of water.
Such a plant could also help San Diego reach the state’s — and its own – – goals for the use of renewable energy. A plan to address climate change that’s currently being developed by the city could set a target of the year 2035 for using renewable energy sources — like solar and wind power — for all of the city’s power.
The Water Authority last year completed a project that raised the San Vicente Dam by 117 feet in order to create more storage space. It could take four more years to reach the new capacity, depending on rainfall.
— City News Service
