In response to simmering environmental concerns on the U.S. side of the Mexican border, California congressional members introduced legislation last week that would place fuel limitations and stringent environmental requirements on Mexican-based power plants that sell supplies across the border into the United States. The action was prompted by two power plants now under construction just south of Mexicali in North Baja.

The legislation, sponsored by California’s two U.S. senators and a House member from San Diego, would limit emissions from natural gas-fired power plants 50 MW or larger within 50 miles of the border. Democratic Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, along with Rep. Duncan Hunter, a Republican, think the legislation will, as Feinstein said in a news announcement, “protect those living along the border from harmful power plant emissions.”

In essence, the proposed law would prohibit the use of U.S. gas supplies for Mexican-based power plants unless the plants met California’s air quality rules, which are the most stringent in the nation.

The issue arose because the two plants being built near Mexicali reportedly applied different environmental standards to their equipment. One plant being built by a subsidiary of San Diego-based Sempra Energy purports to meet California air emission standards; a second plant being built by Burlington, MA-based InterGen was originally supposed to only meet the Mexican air quality standards. Last year, the InterGen plant was expected to start first, followed by the Sempra plant, which currently is slated to begin operations in June.

A joint venture of Royal Dutch/Shell Group and a privately held energy construction firm, the Bechtel Group, San Francisco, InterGen’s officials told Reuters its La Rosita plant near Mexicali will be “one of the most environmentally advanced” plants in Mexico. Two of the 1,000 MW plant’s four units had equipment to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, and the firm said it has been discussing with Mexican officials the need to put similar air emission control equipment on the other two units, which are slated to serve Mexican markets.

The California lawmakers noted that the plants are directly across the border from the state’s Imperial Valley, which reportedly has “some of the worst air quality” in the state. “I believe these new plants must meet California emission standards,” Feinstein said in a Reuters report.

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