New Power Plant Brings Jobs Near Desert Hot Springs
A brand new natural gas-fired power plant is going up near Desert Hot Springs. A groundbreaking ceremony Thursday marked the official start of construction for the CPV Sentinel Energy Project.
The $900 million initiative is being built on 37 acres of unincorporated Riverside County land off Dillon Road, northeast of the interchange between Interstate 10 and state Highway 62.
Riverside County Supervisor John Benoit says the start of construction marks a victory over determined environmentalists who went to court to stop the 800 megawatt energy project. Lawsuits delayed the plans for three years.
Local leaders now say they’re excited over the 300 construction jobs and $5 million in annual tax revenue the plant will bring to the area.
The plant will support nearby solar and wind power projects. Southern California Edison Vice President Kevin Ceni said, “The quick-start gas turbine technology is wonderful to back up the intermittance of wind and solar generation.” State Assemblyman Manuel Perez said, “When the wind is not blowing, and the sun is not out, we have to also make sure we can still provide power and energy.”
The CPV Sentinel plant will also provide electricity during times of peak demand, generating enough power for 800,000 homes. The idea is to keep the state’s power grid charged even when it’s strained on the hottest of summer days to avoid blackouts.
The plant should go online in the summer of 2013.
