By Melissa Yu
On May 27, 2021, a steam turbine generator exploded at the Russell City Energy Center gas-fired power plant in Hayward. This explosion caused shrapnel and metal debris to launch into the surrounding area, heavily damaging nearby buildings. Many pieces landed at Hayward’s wastewater treatment plant, and at least one piece crashed through the roof of a homeless navigation center. In total, the explosion caused an estimated $100 million in damage.
Despite the fact that their steam turbine generator has not been repaired, the Russell City Energy Center has requested a special permit from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) to resume operations. Without the steam turbine damaged in the explosion, the plant will operate at a lower efficiency, producing a similar amount of pollution and greenhouse gases while only generating a fraction of the electricity. So in order to comply with Air District emissions rules, the plant has requested for its permit to be loosened. Disturbingly, the plant has already resumed operations even before receiving the emissions exemption.
Members of the public have until August 30th to submit written comments to BAAQMD on this issue. Please send a message urging BAAQMD to immediately stop this plant from operating at low efficiency and deny their request to operate until they repair their steam turbine generator and can meet their permitted greenhouse gas emissions limit.
As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change just reported in terrifying detail, climate change is upon us, and Californians are currently feeling its effects day in and day out. Granting a greenhouse gas efficiency exemption in this climate would be unconscionable.
Furthermore, the Russell City Energy Center has operated for years at a capacity far lower than its full potential (see graph below). As the plant is used at lower capacity utilization, its efficiency also declines. In the first half of 2020, the plant’s efficiency was only 43% — very low compared to the 50 to 60% efficiency of similar plants. Lower efficiency increases the amount of fuel, the cost of fuel, and the amount of pollutants emitted per megawatt-hour of electricity generated.
In addition to climate-warming greenhouse gases, the power plant creates emissions that are harmful to human health, including asthma-triggering nitrogen oxides. The City of Hayward is already disproportionately impacted by pollution. This facility is a danger to our community, our health, and our climate future.
The City of Hayward announced in June their opposition to the Russell City Energy Center’s request: “Given what transpired, we believe it would be premature to proceed with a restart until we understand the root cause of the turbine failure and whether facilities in place to contain the explosion performed as intended,” said Mayor Barbara Halliday. She added, “It also is essential that we understand the potential environmental and health impacts to our community of Calpine’s proposal to resume plant operations."
BAAQMD must stay true to its mission to “create a healthy breathing environment for every Bay Area resident.” Please send your message asking BAAQMD to stop the Russell City Energy Center’s dangerous operations.
Photo credit: Hayward power plant by “Pussreboots” via Flickr Creative Commons (CC BY 2.0).