Las Vegas Sun

November 24, 2009

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Laughlin’s air may pay price for California’s need for more power

Monday, Dec. 18, 2000 | 10:07 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Residents of Laughlin may see a little more black smoke in the skies during the next few months because of the power shortage in California.

Southern California Edison has asked the state Environmental Commission for a variance to exceed the opacity requirements for the Mohave Power Generation plant at Laughlin. The commission was scheduled to meet today in Las Vegas at the Sawyer State Office Building to act on the request.

When the electricity shortage reaches emergency conditions in California, Southern California Edison wants to be able to fire up its Mohave plant at full power to ship more electricity to California. But this might result in darker smoke than allowed coming out of the facility.

The company said it will limit the operation at that level to 60 hours from now until April. It received approval from the environmental commission last summer for a variance to handle emergencies in California. That variance expired Oct. 30.

The plant operated at only two-hour stretches at a time during that period.

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