A proposed power plant that would convert coal into hydrogen and fertilizer near the community of Tupman in Kern County has been granted a six month reprieve from the California Energy Commission.
The move is a victory for the company that is backing the proposed "carbon capture" facility. Groups who are opposed to the plant, including The Sierra Club had filed a motion with the commission to terminate the project, while the company sought a suspension. Those moves came after the company announced that it couldn't reach an agreement with the owner of a local oil field to provide underground storage for the carbon dioxide generated by the facility.
The commission's decision gives Hydrogen Energy of California until January 6, 2016 to find an oil field operator who will take the CO2, and to solve another problem - concerns over the plant's compliance with Kern County zoning rules.
