The KUSP Land Use Report #48: Calpine’s Peaker Plant

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The following Land Use Report is presented by Gary Patton, Executive Director of LandWatch Monterey County. The opinions expressed by Mr. Patton are not necessarily those of KUSP Radio, nor of any of our sponsors.

The Calpine energy company wants to build a power plant in Pajaro, a little community that sits just over the river from the City of Watsonville. This area, which is unincorporated, is under the jurisdiction of the Monterey County Board of Supervisors.

Pajaro has officially been designated as a "blighted" area, and has been targeted for redevelopment. A flood control project, a rail commute center, and new housing and commercial development are all quite possible. Local community organizations like Casa de la Cultura, Action Pajaro Valley, and the El Pajaro Community Development Corporation, are all hoping to revitalize and improve the Pajaro area. What’s more important, they and the County’s Redevelopment Agency hope to improve the lives of the people who live there.

Will construction of a new "peaker" power plant, drawing on a potentially overdrafted aquifer and boasting an 80-foot high smokestack, help or hinder the long-term revitalization of Pajaro? It would add to the tax base. There are clearly pros and cons. One good idea might be to do an Environmental Impact Report before making a final decision. So far, Monterey County is proposing to move ahead without an EIR.

If you’re interested, it’s definitely not too late to get involved. You can get more information at the KUSP website: www.kusp.org.

For KUSP, this is Gary Patton.

More Information:
LandWatch Letter on the proposed Calpine Plant: www.landwatch.org

Sentinel article: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2002/June/17/local/stories/02local.htm

Contact at the Monterey County Planning Department: Thom McCue, Senior Planner - (831) 883-7528

Casa de la Cultura: http://www.3americas.org/casacultura/casa_eng/home_eng.html

Contact the El Pajaro Community Development Corporation: Ginger McNally - (831) 722-1224

Action Pajaro Valley: http://www.actionpajarovalley.org/

Calpine’s Corporate Website: http://www.calpine.com/.

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