SFPUC hears presentation on Potrero peaker turbines as residents press for Mirant closure

San Francisco — The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission on Oct. 19 heard a detailed staff presentation on a proposal to site three LM6000 combustion‑turbine “peaker” generators in the city and a single turbine at the airport, a package staff and the California Independent System Operator (Cal ISO) say is intended to replace the reliability role of the Mirant Potrero plant and allow its eventual closure.

Susan Leal, SFPUC general manager, opened the discussion and introduced Tony Irons, the commission’s deputy general manager, who described the project’s layout, operation and financing. Irons said the in‑city site would house three LM6000 turbines on an approximately four‑acre Potrero parcel while a smaller, similar unit would be leased at the airport. “This is a peaker plant,” Irons said, describing recycled water cooling and the plant’s relationship to nearby Muni operations.

Why it matters: The city, community groups and Cal ISO have long sought a way to remove the Potrero plant’s “must‑run” reliability designation and shut the Mirant facility because residents and public‑health advocates say it is a major local source of pollution. Cal ISO told the commission it would remove the must‑run designation only when a demonstrated alternative that meets reliability needs is in service.

Emissions,…