Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Power Plants Potentially at Risk from Sea Level Rise
At-Risk Power Plants
(MW) Fuel
0 - 10
11 - 50
51 - 150
151 - 250
251 - 2000
OIL/GAS
LANDFILL GAS
MSW
Predicted inundation of 100-year
flood with 1.4m Sea Level Rise
Source: Pacific Institute
San Francisco Bay Area
Napa
Sonoma
Solano
Marin
Contra
Costa
Alameda
San
Mateo
Santa Clara
Santa Cruz Area
Santa Cruz
Monterey
Los Angeles Area
Los Angeles
Orange
Figure 14
Power plants potentially at risk from sea level rise (CEC 1999)
area its size. EPA (Titus, 2011) is exploring 'rolling easements' and other mechanisms
of dealing with water intrusion in areas such as Hampton Roads, Virginia. The Hamp-
ton Roads and Norfolk area is home to signiicant energy facilities, including the Lam-
berts Point Coal Terminal, the largest on the East Coast, the Yorktown Reinery (now
inactive), and the Dominion Yorktown power plant (~1200 MW) (Fears, 2011).
In nearby Chincoteague Island, VA, the Fish and Wildlife Service (2011) is evaluating
management plan options that include expected losses of certain sea-facing areas and
facilities. These are not, themselves, energy supply infrastructure but the planning is
indicative of the high level of certainty regarding sea-level rise in the region. Moreover,
many of California's power plants are at risk from sea-level rise, especially in the low-
