Coastal Power Plants and Desalination Facilities

Many of California’s coastal power plants withdraw large volumes of ocean water for cooling purposes during energy production.  However, this ocean water provides important habitat for plankton, fishes, and invertebrates.  The use of once-through cooling entrains and impinges billions of marine organisms that are part of a healthy ecosystem.  These impacts contribute to the degradation of estuarine and nearshore habitat and declining fisheries.  It is estimated that coastal power plants in southern California collectively impinge approximately 8 – 30% of the sport fishing catch.  HCD has and continues to collaborate with other state and federal agencies to urge power plant operators to utilize the best available technology to reduce this impact, and, if infeasible to do so, mitigate for the impacts incurred from their operation.

Desalination is increasingly being proposed as an alternative source for our water supply.  Desalination facilities have the potential to negatively impact estuarine and coastal habitat in a similar mechanism as coastal power plants.  The desalination process involves the intake of ocean water that may result in the loss of marine species via entrainment and impingement.  In addition, desalination plants introduce brine waste water effluent into the marine environment.  High levels or fluctuations in the salinity level may kill sensitive organisms near the outlet.  HCD is reviewing desalination proposals in southern California and is providing recommendations to regulatory agencies regarding measures to avoid, minimize, or mitigate for the abovementioned impacts.

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06/03/09