San Diego utility revives plans for electric plant

San Diego’s electric utility is reviving plans to build a large gas-fired plant after news that the San Onofre nuclear plant is closing.

San Diego Gas & Electric Co. said Tuesday that it will ask regulators next week to approve a 300-megawatt plant near the Mexican border. The California Public Utilities Commission rejected it in March, a victory for critics who deemed it unnecessary.

SDG&E’s president, Michael Niggli, says circumstances have changed. The San Diego utility has historically gotten about 20 percent of its electricity from San Onofre.

Public Utilities Commissioner J.K. Sandoval acknowledged that earlier rejection of the Pio Pico plant didn’t take into account San Onofre’s closing. She appeared at a news conference with officials who said San Diego should have enough power for peak demand this summer.