Three stacks and a rock. That’s what Morro Bay is known for.
Tonight, a discussion on what to do about those three stacks. The energy company which recently bought the power plant wants to take them down. Last week the city council agreed unanimously to allow that, but questions remain. City manager Scott Collins says the public needs to weigh in on the two options. They will get that opportunity tonight.
The company wants to use the plant for battery storage. Councilman Jeff Heller wants to work with the energy company because the city has a need from the owners of that property. They need to run a pipe across the property from their new sewer plant.
The agreement approved unanimously by the city council asks the company to remove the stacks by the year 2028, or face a three million dollar fine.
The previous owners, Duke Energy, wanted to upgrade the plant. Their plans included replacing the three stacks with a more efficient and smaller one. They became discouraged with the demands made by many environmental groups and sold the property without improving it.
