POWER PLANT DELAY SOUGHT.

Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer

LANCASTER - Electricity Provider Inc. is seeking a second 10-day extension in getting state approval for its proposed power plant, citing the need for more time to complete a study into connecting the plant to Southern California Edison power lines.

The Tustin-based company, which announced in May that it would build a $210 million, 240-megawatt plant, said in a letter to the California Energy Commission that Edison has had a seven-day delay in preparing the interconnection study.

``It (the extension) is going to be granted,'' Energy Commission spokesman Chris Davis said. ``It hasn't been rescheduled yet for a board meeting.''

The Energy Commission was originally scheduled to vote on the permit application at its June 25 meeting, but postponed that vote until July 5 after the company requested a 10-day extension in June.

Calls to the company were not returned Thursday.

Electricity Provider applied for a permit under the state's special 21-day permitting process to build a power plant on eight acres at the northwest corner of Division Street and Avenue H. The state is offering the 21-day permit process to companies that can get their plants operating by Sept. 30.

The plant will use natural gas to power its turbines. The company is planning to build a nearly 23-mile-long natural gas pipeline from Mojave to Lancaster, primarily along Sierra Highway.

The company and the city of Lancaster are working to acquire all the necessary permits for the $10 million gas line project.

``I don't think there are any big snags on this,'' said Assistant City Manager Dennis Davenport.

The natural gas line will also provide power for a second power plant that will be built near the Electricity Provider plant. San Diego-based California Power Partners LLC plans to build a $75 million, 90-megawatt power plant at the northwest corner of Avenue H and Trevor Avenue.

California Power Partners plans to buy a 4.3-acre parcel from the city for $1 million. The company plans to apply for a permit under the state Energy Commission's four-month permit process, which is for single-cycle power plants that will be running before August 2002. The plant would need a permit renewal after three years.

The city has another 4.3-acre parcel in the same area that is also being marketed to energy companies.

The city has committed to providing $700,000 worth of street and utility improvements to the area where the power plants are to be sited. The city has already spent $150,000 to prepare the site, including having the environmental impact report done as part of plans dating from the early 1990s to turn the area into an industrial park.