Sumas power plant gets nod

Associated Press

OLYMPIA — State regulators have unanimously recommended approval of a $350 million natural-gas fired power plant in Whatcom County near the Canadian border.

The Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council’s vote came Friday in Bellingham, where demonstrators from both sides of the border protested the project known as Sumas Two or SE2 for Sumas Energy 2.

Gov. Gary Locke, who will make the final call, will carefully study the application and will make a decision in about two months, his office said. As the final judge, he has not spoken publicly about the project.

The project includes a 660 megawatt power plant — enough to light 660,000 homes, or half the Seattle power demand — as well as a natural gas pipeline and an electrical transmission line.

The project sponsor, Kirkland-based National Energy Systems Co., voiced its "relief and optimism" after the vote by the 12-member council. The panel rejected an earlier proposal by the company, but allowed backers to resubmit a substantially revised plan.

Council Chairman Jim Luce said the latest plan "sets a new standard of excellence for protection of the environment and the public interest." He said the project would meet or exceed all state, national and Canadian air emission standards.

"Sumas has offered improvements that will result in an energy benefit for the region and reduced impacts on its neighbors and on the environment," Luce said.

One main improvement in the plan was to eliminate the proposed use of diesel oil as a backup fuel for generation, he said. That answered concerns about transportation, storage and air pollution, he said.

Other permit requirements would reduce or eliminate impacts on air, water, wetlands, traffic, noise and flooding, the council said. That, combined with the need for power, now tips the balance in favor of approving the project, regulators said.

Project President Chuck Martin said it would take about two years to build the plant. About 400 construction workers would be needed and the plant would employ about 25 workers.