While much of the Bay Area has fiercely opposed new power plants proposed in their backyards, communities in eastern Contra Costa have welcomed them with open arms.
Over the past 15 years, regulators have approved three power plants that are now operating in the area. Three more planned for East County are working their way through the regulatory pipeline.
Local leaders say the newer natural gas-fired plants will run cleaner and more efficiently than older plants, generating permanent jobs and much-needed property tax revenue.
Power plants, which emit a variety of toxic chemicals linked to health risks, don't have that kind of support anywhere else in the Bay Area.
San Francisco's last fossil fuel plant was shuttered last year. An underwater cable from Pittsburg will help power the city.
In Alameda County, only one new plant has gotten the go-ahead in the past 15 years, and that came after a decade-long fight. In the same period, opponents there successfully fought off three proposed plants.
Power plants have begun clustering in East Contra Costa because they are less likely to run up against legal challenges from residents, according to environmentalists, consultants and professors.
"The communities in San Francisco and Alameda County have been increasingly successful at stopping new power plants and shutting down existing plants," said Shana Lazerow of Communities for a Better Environment. "That area (East Contra Costa) just doesn't have the political voice yet."
While cleaner than older models, the new plants still bring health risks. Long-term exposure to the compounds these plants emit can cause lung problems and even heart disease, according to California Energy Commission reports.
Environmentalists believe that the proliferation of power plants in East County will lead to health problems.
A report from the Pacific Environment group on the East County plants concluded, "Contra Costa County is already known for its high levels of toxic emissions, and adding more polluting industries will only increase current public health risks."
"Good jobs do not have to come at the price of your family's health," the report said.
But for many in East County, the pollution these might emit is less important than the monetary benefits they will bring. Fifth-generation Oakley resident Karen Gallegos was among the many locals who turned out to a daylong California Energy Commission meeting last week to voice support for a plant proposed in Oakley.
Over the past 15 years, regulators have approved three power plants that are now operating in the area. Three more planned for East County are working their way through the regulatory pipeline.
Local leaders say the newer natural gas-fired plants will run cleaner and more efficiently than older plants, generating permanent jobs and much-needed property tax revenue.
Power plants, which emit a variety of toxic chemicals linked to health risks, don't have that kind of support anywhere else in the Bay Area.
San Francisco's last fossil fuel plant was shuttered last year. An underwater cable from Pittsburg will help power the city.
In Alameda County, only one new plant has gotten the go-ahead in the past 15 years, and that came after a decade-long fight. In the same period, opponents there successfully fought off three proposed plants.
Power plants have begun clustering in East Contra Costa because they are less likely to run up against legal challenges from residents, according to environmentalists, consultants and professors.
"The communities in San Francisco and Alameda County have been increasingly successful at stopping new power plants and shutting down existing plants," said Shana Lazerow of Communities for a Better Environment. "That area (East Contra Costa) just doesn't have the political voice yet."
While cleaner than older models, the new plants still bring health risks. Long-term exposure to the compounds these plants emit can cause lung problems and even heart disease, according to California Energy Commission reports.
Environmentalists believe that the proliferation of power plants in East County will lead to health problems.
A report from the Pacific Environment group on the East County plants concluded, "Contra Costa County is already known for its high levels of toxic emissions, and adding more polluting industries will only increase current public health risks."
"Good jobs do not have to come at the price of your family's health," the report said.
But for many in East County, the pollution these might emit is less important than the monetary benefits they will bring. Fifth-generation Oakley resident Karen Gallegos was among the many locals who turned out to a daylong California Energy Commission meeting last week to voice support for a plant proposed in Oakley.
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