Earlier in 2012, Southern California Edison, a subsidiary of Edison International, had terminated operations at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.
The San Diego County Water Authority and the City of San Diego are seeking permissions to conduct an economic and financial study to determine its cost and ownership structure. The process would cost less than $150,000.
Expected to take five years for completion, the proposed project is expected to increase the amount of water in the San Vicente Reservoir.
In an interview with Bloomberg, the San Diego County Water Authority deputy general manager Frank Belock said that the project would be the authorities’ second power plant to pump up the water into the reservoir from a smaller one.
The process is planned primarily at nights due to low power rates, added Belock.
Belock further added that the authorities are open to all types of considerations including public-private partnerships with energy companies.
First power plant of the water authority is a 40MW pumped-storage project that connects Hodges Reservoir with Olivenhain Reservoir.
