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SACWIS report: no extensions recommended for once‑through cooling; agencies stress grid reliability monitoring
Summary
The Statewide Advisory Committee on Cooling Water Intake Structures (SACWIS) told the State Water Resources Control Board on June 17 that it will not recommend extending compliance dates for power plants regulated under the once‑through cooling policy, while continuing to monitor grid reliability and procurement of replacement capacity.
The Statewide Advisory Committee on Cooling Water Intake Structures (SACWIS) told the State Water Resources Control Board on June 17 that it will not recommend extending compliance dates for power plants regulated under the once‑through cooling (OTC) policy, while continuing to monitor grid reliability and procurement of replacement capacity.
Jonathan Dolan of the board’s Division of Water Quality summarized the SACWIS report and the March 21, 2025 meeting: the OTC policy initially applied to 19 coastal power plants; 12 are in full compliance and seven are on track. Dolan said fleet water use has fallen as plants have come into compliance and that projected fleet water use remains below policy design flows through 2031. The report, he said, “does not recommend any compliance date extensions.”
Nut graf: SACWIS flagged supply‑side risks tied to resource build delays, extreme west‑wide heat events and potential import reductions during wildfire events, but concluded the committee will continue close monitoring. Interagency coordination includes CARB for air permitting, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for procurement data, the California Energy Commission for system reliability analyses, and the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) for operational experience.
CARB staff summarized air‑permit renewal status: operating gas‑fired OTC facilities have valid Title V permits or are operating under renewal shields; staffing and rule processes were described for units at Huntington Beach, Alamitos, Scattergood, Harbor and Haines. CPUC staff Christy Root reported net qualifying capacity (NQC) procurement from 2020–2024 exceeded 16,000 megawatts (NQC), with record additions in 2024 largely in storage. CAISO’s Neil Miller described limited use of OTC units in 2024 as part of the Strategic Reliability Reserve during heat events; units were started up at minimum load on three occasions but were not required to ramp to full output.
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power representatives Catherine Rubin and Tony Skordis reported on LADWP’s OTC fleet replacement and permitting: Scattergood’s draft EIR comment period was extended while the utility incorporated a new study; LADWP expects permitting and procurement action to allow construction aiming for completion by the OTC policy retirement date of Dec. 31, 2029. LADWP also noted a voluntary environmental benefits MOU with the Coastal Conservancy and an initial payment of $3 million on March 1, 2025.
Ending: SACWIS will continue annual meetings and a biweekly interagency working group to track procurement, permit renewals and grid reliability. At this meeting SACWIS recommended no changes to OTC compliance schedules but emphasized continued interagency monitoring given uncertainties around extreme weather, import availability and project delivery.
