Staff photo by Kyle Turner

Encina power plant.

Carlsbad residents are aware of the big gray box and huge “smokestack” known as the Encina Plant, providing Carlsbad and North County with the majority of our power, it is owned by NRG Energy, and is located on the 101 between Tamarack and Cannon Road. What most people don’t know is that this plant will be taken down and replaced by 2018.

David Knox, a spokesperson of NRG, which provides energy for all of San Diego County, said that the plant, which has been operating and supplying Carlsbad residents with energy since opening back in 1954, currently operates using a combined cycle method.

“[A combined cycle method] is where it takes a combustion turbine [a large jet engine], and as you turn it on it spins, it turns the generator, and makes power. That’s a single cycle. You take that hot exhaust from the jet engine and you put it into a boiler. It boils water into steam and runs another generator,” said Knox. That is where the term ‘combined’ comes in. Knox said that the way the plant runs is based on,  “a great system, [it’s] very efficient, but it’s not all that flexible”. The way the Encina plant attains power is by taking 12-18 hours before the system is up and running daily to be able to supply any amount of usable energy.

With the new system, however, water is heated and turned into steam which then drives a steam turbine to deliver electric energy through a generator, this process is referred to as a  single cycle combustion turbine. Contrary to the current cycle this new process should only take 10 minutes before energy will be accessible. Consequently, this transformation will affect many citizens and they way they receive energy. Instead of supplying a miniscule amount of energy to each resident, people will now receive a larger quantity of energy at a faster rate. In addition, the new plant will be using natural gases and integrating solar power in place of using precious nonrenewable resources.

Finally, Knox talked about the removal and deconstruction of the old power plant, which will reduce the physical impact the Encina plant has on the community.

“Within a year of [the new plant] coming online we will start the demolition of [the old plant]. We will be taking it apart brick by brick. That will probably take a couple of years to demolish,” Knox said.

Carlsbad resident and homeowner Joe Troya feels positively about the transformation.

“I like the idea of the [new] plant not wasting a lot of energy [and] trying to [be more efficient],” Troya said.

Although Troya has lived here for many years, he is not sad to see the old plant go. He is excited for what the new plant has to offer.  ”I’m not sentimental about an industrial smoke tower,” Troya said.

Another Carlsbad homeowner, Richard Fosman, thinks “[the new plant] is  going to be beneficial for the community.”

Knox also noted the reduced environmental impact the updated plant will have.

¨The plant will have a very low visual footprint and it [will] dramatically reduce the environmental impact,” Knox said.

As a result of this change, North County will be receiving clean power more efficiently without a big industrial building polluting the visual appeal along the coast. With the improved plant, the risk of oil leaks is far reduced.

“We had a number of large oil tanks on the Encina Property and the last thing you want to do is something where the oil leaks out of the oil tank and goes into the environment,” Knox said.

The oil tanks, used previously for Encinas main source of power, will be taken down and the new plant will be using natural gases and integrating solar power in place of harmful nonrenewable resources. The old Encina plant will be completely taken down and replaced by 2018.