POSTED: 10:52 am PDT May 13, 2008
UPDATED: 11:18 am PDT May 13, 2008
SAN DIEGO --
Some South Bay residents rallied against a proposed power plant in Chula Vista on Monday.
Area residents are weighing the benefits of the project versus its possible risks.
"It's too close to homes and school -- just not an appropriate location," Leo Miras of the Environmental Health Coaltion told NBC 7/39.
Still, some others in the growing community said the plant is what they need.
"That's a big step in the right direction," Harry Scarborough of MMC Energy said. "We'd be producing more megawatts, providing this area, which is extremely congested and needs a lot of new peaking capacity."
The new plant would provide power during peak hours and replace an older plant on the same property, which opponents point out is about 1,000 feet from a school.
Supporters said the new plant could actually produce twice as much energy as the old one, with fewer emissions to boot.
"I think we would provide the solution to that and provide it under a much cleaner technology," Scarborough said.
The protesters on Monday, though, were not sold on the plan, saying that there has to be another way.
"We do need energy, but there are cleaner ways to get that, where we are not trading in a community's health," Miras said.
Both sides met Monday night at a workshop with the California Energy Commission. If the commission approves the project, the builders said it could be completed by June 2009.
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