Demolition of South Bay Power Plant Moves Forward

Byline: Taylor Hill CHULA VISTA — At the Nov. 1 Chula Vista City Council meeting, South Bay Power Plant operator Dynegy Inc. explained its future plans for demolishing the above-ground structures of the decommissioned plant on the bayfront, and reported that it had filed its Coastal Development Permit application with the California Coastal Commission. Dynegy Inc., which owned and operated the plant as it was being decommissioned, is contractually obligated to perform the demolition and environmental remediation of the site to fit in with Chula Vista’s Port Master Plan amendment, which has the area designated for recreational open space use. The Coastal Development Permit is the first step in removing the 50-year-old power plant from its 150-acre lot on the Chula Vista bayfront. On Oct. 25, the port and Dynegy South Bay LLC (a legal entity of Dynegy Inc.) signed an agreement that calls for a two-step process of dismantling the power plant. It includes removal of the above-ground structures, followed by a removal of subsurface structures and in-water structures. “Dismantling and demolishing the South Bay Power Plant is a critical step in our plans for the Chula Vista waterfront, which is one of the prime pieces of coastal real estate in all of California,”...