Closure of 3 Southern California power plants likely to be postponed, state energy officials decide

By SOPHIE AUSTIN
Associated Press/Report for America

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California energy officials have voted Wednesday to extend the life of three natural gas power plants along the state’s southern coast. The plants were previously set to shut down by the end of this year. The state’s Department of Water Resources introduced the plan to allow them to run during emergencies. It’s part of a broader goal to make sure the state has enough resources available to keep the lights on during extreme weather events. The decision highlights a debate about how the state can avoid blackouts while weaning itself off of fossil fuels. But environmentalists said the state needs to speed up its renewable energy transition.