Power Plants on the Coast

* We’re sorry that the sight of power plants along the Pacific Coast offends columnist Robert A. Jones (“The T-Rexes That Just Won’t Die,” Dec. 7).

We even agree that lovelier facilities dot the coastline. But we cannot apologize for our plants’ fundamental value to society and the fact that millions of Southern Californians have come to accept them as part of the combination of economic, climate and lifestyle considerations that attract and retain them here.

The 12 gas-fired plants owned by Southern California Edison have a combined generating capacity of 7,532 megawatts, enough energy to power 6 million homes.

Ironically, no one--not even Jones--seemed to care what these so-called “T-Rexes” looked like last summer, when they got consumers through the highest power demand period ever, due to record heat and humidity.

Are the plants efficient? Absolutely. Edison has ensured that they are maintained in top-notch condition. Are they high polluters? No. They account for less than half of 1% of the nitrogen oxide emissions in Southern California.

Others don’t seem to share Jones’ inability to recognize value. Maybe that’s why discriminating bidders from all over the world recently sought to purchase Edison’s inventory of gas-fired power plants. And the winners bought them at more than 2.5 times their book value.

As for the sold Redondo Beach plant, we cannot speculate about its “must-run” status. The plant’s future lies in the hands of the new owners and government regulators.

THOMAS J. HIGGINS

Vice President

Southern California Edison