LANCASTER — The City of Lancaster invites Antelope Valley residents to attend public forums regarding the proposed Palmdale Power Plant.
The forums will be held on Nov. 13 at the Lancaster Learning Center; Nov. 20 at Piute Middle School; and Dec. 4 at Miller Elementary. All three forums begin at 5:30 p.m.
Vice Mayor Marvin Crist will give a presentation regarding the proposed power plant and its potential effects on the Antelope Valley community.
“The public is encouraged to attend the forum to learn how the proposed power plant will affect our children and our community,” states a city news release.
View video below of a previous presentation Crist made regarding the Palmdale Power Plant. The presentation was made before the Lancaster City Council on Tuesday, Aug. 27.
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Palmdale Power Plant obtains transfer emission reduction credits
BizFed urges AVAQMD Board to support Palmdale Power Plant
VIDEO: Lancaster opposition continues Palmdale Power Plant
Palmdale Power Plant drawing support from elected officials, community leaders
Chris says
Why place the facility near Plant 42? Seems to me it’s an accident waiting to happen.
Personally, I would prefer it to be built where I don’t have to look at it every time I drive Sierra Highway. There is plenty of open space; just drive a further East to 50th. Why does it have to be built right on the border of Palmdale and Lancaster?
Instead of working against each other, why not try and work together for the good of the residents of both cities! Or are you like feuding siblings that will do whatever to put the screws to each other and forget the people that put you in office?
For those of you making the decision, would you want to see this facility in your backyards? Would you want to live near the facility? Would you jeopardize your family?
William says
Jason Zink, how do you explain Burbank’s and Pasadena’s power plants in the midst of all kinds of close in surrounding development including homes and schools and no deaths reported? They are much closer to structures than the Palmdale plant will be and the Antelope Valley isn’t as confiined by mountains as much as those other 2 cities are.
Why do you simply ignore approval from the CEC which says that it will be a very clean plant while the oppositions deals only in fear, exaggeration and their non-expert opinions?
You must be aware that Rex Parris has it in for Mayor Ledford and will do anything to obstruct or undermine him in any projects in Palmdale and this is one of them. You guys through everything at the wall to see what sticks even if it isn’t relevant or accurate.
Unless you live in Palmdale, what do you care about the financials regarding the power plant. I thought pollution was the big deal breaker.
Do you live in Palmdale or Lancaster?
Jason Zink says
Live in Pamdale William and I did not vote for lieing misleading sellout Ledford! So get behind me stop bashing me can’t win!
And why would Palmdale not want to hold on to some kind of royalties to get revenue every year.
Pasadena and Burbank give their citizens lower rates not Palmdale so they recieve something for it.
More JOBS would be created if they turn the whole property into solar troughs and built them here to sell to other land owners. Clean Air!
Are you not educated about what Co2 emissions are doing to our planet. New report that came out about destroying or Ocean now. WAKE UP!!!!
So Dickies is coming to the AV Mall not Palmdale Mall woukd not be there if Lancaster was not in AV smart guy and they didn’t need $4 Million dollar give away like Ledford did for May Company
William says
@Jason Zink. So, Burbank and Pasadena get lower rates, so it’s not the pollution that’s the issue as expressed by Parris and Crist and no experts. You guys need to get your stories straight, if that’s at all possible.
You bounce all over the place.
I once calculated how much CO2 the 500,000 humans in the Antelope Valley exhale in one year and posted it here. It’s a huge number. Just like the CO2 from the power plant is a huge number….a huge scary number.
So, how come the approval by the CEC means nothing to you? They are the experts, not you. Answer that question and don’t change the subject.
Apparently, your opinions outweigh any facts on any issue.
Go shop in Lancaster if you don’t like the AV Mall, if you can find anything. Go live there too.
Raymond says
Unbelievable! Are you really bitchen about money going to businesses moving to Palmdale, while pretending Lancaster isn’t doing the exact same thing? How much to Morton? How much to BYD? How much for the new Kaiser location? How much to pay for the eye in the sky? How much to walley world in QH? How much to a couple of churches? How much to the businesses on the blvd? How much to Costco? How much for these SOLAR FARMS THAT WE’RE PAYING FOR BUT WON’T SEE A DIME FROM, while the instances of valley fever go unreported, killing and destroying lives?
It’s no wonder that Lancaster has junk bond status and less than 20% in reserves. Is that you Rex? Hoping no one remembers to look at your city? Leave us alone! We don’t want to ride your coat tails into financial oblivion!
William says
@Raymond. Thank you very much for gathering all those issues in one spot. Unbelievable how consistent Rex is over there.
It’s hard to remember them all but you did the work.
Thanks again for the info.
I love how Mayor Ledford keeps mum about new businesses in the pipeline such as the new sports store at the AV Mall until they are ready to go while Rex brags and brags and brags for years every time a hot dog stand opens up in Lancaster. He’s such a ‘fertilizer’.
Danny says
Great response!
Scott Pelka says
What everybody in Rexcaster fails to realize is the city of Pasadena has had a natural fired gas power plant for well over 25 years in a residential area of the city and to my knowledge not one death or illness has resulted from it. And they were recently given the ok to expand the power generators to over 700 megs of power. And besides we would all get sick because we breath natural gas burnoff from our stoves… we all have them. Suck on that fact Marv and Rex.
rigrhonda says
Avenue M used to be the DMZ between the warring cities of Lancaster and Palmdale. Looks like now it’s the epicenter of controversy between the warring mayors and their immense egos. The old timers used to say that one day the two cities would be so large that they wouldn’t have petty rivalries. They were wrong, except now the rivalries also involve millions and millions of dollars of public money.
Jason Zink says
William, Well if you know anything about the Antelope Valley most vacant land is owned by out of town people and even local people don’t know about it believe it or not and I want people to know what’s at stake.
So the way you talk and think that its alright for people to steal if they don’t know about it until later on!
William says
Well, Jason Zink, a lot of land in Lancaster is owned by locals who manipulate the city government to do their bidding. Do you complain about the rezoning of the land for the new Walmart or the money spent to cover the Amargossa Creek for the proposed outdoor mall and other questionable activities?
No wonder Lancaster is a scattered mess of shopping centers that look like there was no planning commission except to do favors for the well connected. The BLVD is in a lousy location and now they have to come up with ways to get people to it with signs and gateway monuments and whatnot.
Jason Zink says
This Project is just asking for a lot of Lawsuits, and taxpayers will be on the hook to pay for them. Thanks Ledford!
William says
@Jason Zink
It just seems that you, Parris, Crist and the rest of the critics begin with not wanting the power plant built…full stop. Then, you think of anything you can to throw in the way endlessly. If misinformation is corrected, you’ll come up with another and another and another. Admit it.
Number 1 – Joshua trees on site have to be moved to another location. They are not bulldozed.
Number 2 – The land owners across the street will MAKE money because now they will have property that is near upgraded utilities. Ask the landowners near the Burbank power plant how much their property is worth. Any idea what the Burbank Mall will get on the market?
Number 3 – The city has not paid $30 million ($35 if you believe Crist and Parris.) The 600 acres were purchased from Lockheed for $18 million. The original plan was to use 300 for the power plant. Summit is buying up to 100 acres. So the “cost” for the power plant land is about $9 million. Palmdale paid Inland Energy about $10.7 million to project manage the permitting process. That is about $20 million. Summit is going to buy it for about $27 million.
Number 4 – The city had four, not three proposed locations. The CEC chose the best one—the one on M and 10th. It was chosen for a number of reasons. It is in an industrial location away from homes and would not cause disruption to local residents. It has reasonable proximity to water, gas lines and power line transmission. Palmdale did not have to use eminent domain, which is very unusual in a project this size. According to the CEC’s Final Decision, “Applicant and Staff evaluated three alternative sites located in Palmdale and determined there would be no appreciable advantages to using either site over the proposed PHPP site. “Of the alternative sites, two of the alternative sites were found to be infeasible. The third alternative site, which would be east of Plant 42, was found to have greater environmental impacts to biological resources, the linears would be longer, and there would be increased visual impacts.” (CEC Commission Decision, Project Alternatives, Page 3-8.)
The project, not the city, will be paying for the installation of pipes, roads and the interconnect with the reclaimed water.
Number 5 – From the beginning Palmdale had three options re: the power plant: to own it, to partner, or to sell it. In this economy with no redevelopment money, Palmdale chose to sell it.
People complain about California’s regulations stifling industry out of one side of their mouths but when the CEC approves a natural gas power plant that will be the cleanest ever, the other side of their mouths goes into overdrive. And, that sounds like exaclty what is going on here.
Notice how Parris brags about how quickly business can start up in Lancaster but then, in the case of BYD, he overlooks a significant problem with the company’s employee practices. I bet other problems will develop as it goes along. Then, he makes up all kinds of scary sceanarios, with your help, about Palmdale’s power plant. See what happens when people stick their noses in other people’s business. Unwanted stuff happens in their backyard.
You worry about Lancaster and you’ll have you hands full, Jason.
Bobby says
Well said William
Jason Zink says
@William….ur wrong again but I forgive you!
1)William First you said there was no Joshua trees now you admit u see them there???. Removing Joshua trees to be replanted somewhere does not replace prime desert flora and transplanting Joshua tree is difficult.
2)The power plant does not and Will not benifit property across the street from it call a local realtor. And you think most people would live and work next to the power plant are you smart.
3) Yes Palmdale has $30 million bond and Summit has yet to really put up money except escrow deposit…..Buy Power Plant Now from stupid seller No Money Down!…..Let seller Palmdale City risk it ALL its only tax payer money. The city could of done the same by putting it in escrow on contingent on full approval but they like to support buy things in cash with out full approval like the college property on the earthquake fault.
4)So you would pic a location in town next to another city that is opposed to the project and does not have the best relationship with over one that is far east of the popultion on 100 th east and Ave P that is closer and cheaper in land , gas and power lines. Also Littkerock and Sun Village and Pearblossom doesn’t even know that the power lines are going thru their communities. Nice neighbor Palmdale!
5) Palmdale had many options like not to do the project in the first place…….not to lie about it lowering electric rates for its Citizens….. could of did a joint veture with Lancaster……and can have the option to put it all in solar panels with no pollution which is what will most likely happen. Because of the lawsuits that will follow and the five to seven years of litigation cost will be to much.
And William only outsiders and political dividers consider themselves Palmdale or Lancaster because anyone who lives here for any period of time and cares about this community knows we are all the same Antelope Valley Citizen and the power plant project just proved it! So lets become are own county and better all our lives out here. That’s something worth talking about.
Jason Zink says
How about the land owners across the street from the power plant who will lose money $$$$ because their property values will go down because who wants to LIVE and WORK next to polluting power plant?
William says
Has the property owner complained publicly or are you generating one issue after another just as an exercise?
Jason Zink says
Another thought, why isn’t the city required to buy or set money aside to buy and preserve Prime Desert Woodlands that will be destroyed by this project at this site. Doesn’t that seem like the right thing to do Palmdale and AV?
William says
I’ve driven by the site and didn’t see any Joshua trees or anything else, just dirt. What is there to preserve?
Jason Zink says
U must need glasses ~ get out of ur damn car stop at Ave M between 10th and 5th St East and look South or better yet Google it those are Joshua trees and prime desert flora. Get the dirt out of your eyes.
NotBlind says
This is one comment I do agree with Jason Zink about.
The proposed area is filled with Joshua trees. I used to see a family of coyotes in that area but I think the last one got hit a year ago or so.
I have no doubt the trees will just be shoved over. Rarely are the moves worth the price, the trees die after transplant, they look green for a long time but in reality they just die. The Lancaster cited solar arrays just shove the trees under as well. Watched them do that a couple weeks ago for the new plant on Ave M west of the 14.
William says
Here’s the deal. If they move Joshua trees for Jason Zink and provide CO2 capture or whatever for Adam Chant and this and that for Marvin and Rex, I GUARANTEE you that they and/or others will come up with other so-called issues.
I guarantee you that.
My own suspicion is that Rex doesn’t want price competition from the power plant competing with his solar fields. Plus, he wants to undermine anything that Mayor Ledford does for Palmdale.
I’m surprised Rex doesn’t pass an ordinance requiring Daylight Savings year round to power the solar cells especially in the winter. Oh, wait. That won’t increase the number of hours of sunlight but does Rex know that? He just plows ahead anyway with his grand schemes.
Bobby says
Was there not Joshua trees where the massive solar park is currently going in now on the westside on M?
There are residencies 40 feet away from that park on both sides of M and then all along 20th west.
Notblind – I think your an idiot. How do you see coyotes when the palmdale location is behind the fence.
So your not ok with the Palmdale plant but you are ok with the Lancaster location literally across the street from homes.
HMMMM thats great jason and Notblind
John Howard says
The solar development on Ave M is in unincorporated LA county and neither in Lancaster or Palmdale.
Not that the facts ever mattered on these discussions.
Jason says
Notblind , better be prepared because your no doubt is wrong. They will be required to move them and if they cant move them, they have to replace every lost tree with three is the number i recall. If they just plowed them over, it would be a fine of $15,000 per tree.
Sun Ra says
You are exactly correct Mr. John Howard! The County is just as negligent as Lancaster in mitigating the dust and dirt problem. Do you think we can get R. Rex Parris to file a class action lawsuit against them?
Jason Zink says
The City of Palmdale had two sites to chose from to put and build the power plant:
□ 100th street East and Ave P
□ 5th street East Ave M
□ neither
Which one would you of choosed as a common sense person if u were mayor or city councilperson or citizen check one:
-where there is very little population and future population planned.
-land is cheaper ($1million or $20 million tax payer dollars)
-One on the outskirts of the city or one in the center of AV right next to adjoing city that has opposed the project at its current site.
-One that does not tear up city streets to put in infrastucture (gas line water line) or one that does.
Mayor Ledford lied, deceived, gambled, used reckless ignorance/arrogance and is a sell-out to his citzens:
-Lied mislead decieved citizens in believing that this was going to be a city owned project and reduce their electric bill rates.
-Said the project cleans the air in AV? Gas power plant?
-Used reckless behavior is choosing a site next to another city.
-GAMBLED tax payer money$$$$ Big Money $30,000,000 Million!
-Has a history of bad diecession making. Allowed $5million dollars of tax payer money to be spent on a palmdale college site that sits on earthquake fault. And put a $450 annual sewer assessment on everyone’s tax bill. I fell bad for Palmdale citizens.
-He Sold-out to an outside company that was apart of this from day one and did not shop around for a better deal for taxpayers in looking for other companies to buy project.
-caused a lot of PROMBLEMS with neighboring city which hurts all of us in AV.
Someone must ask the Mayor why did you do this??? And have him step down or recalled because its not right as a represenative to do these things to your citizens or AV!
*Sidenote, not a big lover of Mayor Perris but he’s right Palmdale should of got their official in writing blessing. And I think had a citizens committee to make things transparent and allowed as much public input as possible.
Taxichef says
King Rex When will you realize that dealing with something that really doesn’t concern you will some day come back and bite you in the A**
Nancy P says
What’s up with the TWC for Lancaster. Have you ever tried to watch a city council meeting?The audio is so poor, you cannot understand what is being said. It has been going on for months. Can’t it be fixed or is it that way for a reason?
wild says
a combo of T.W.C. just sucking and they (the city counsel) don’t want any of the public to try and oppose their destroying of the A.V.
CAP'N LANCASTER says
ATTEN-HUN! CAP’N LANCASTER HERE WITH YOUR LANCASTER UPDATE. SEEMS LIKE OUR VICE MAYOR MARVIN CRIST IS TAKING THE BULL BY THE HORNS AND RUNNING LIKE A HOUND DOG WITH A HOT FOOT. CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR VICE MAYOR FOR SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHING HIS OWN FLESH AND BLOOD INTO THE THICK OF THE LANCASTER POLITICAL SCENE. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT IN A CITY OF 150,000 PLUS THERE WAS NO ONE MORE QUALIFIED TO SERVE ON THE LANCASTER CITY COUNCIL THAN THE TWENTYSOMETHING CRIST, WHO ALSO WORKS AT THE R. REX PARRIS LAW FIRM. FUNNY BUT DOESN’T THE DEPUTY MAYOR KITTY KIT KAT SZEITZO ALSO WORK AT THE R. REX PARRIS LAW FIRM? WHAT A COINCIDENCE!
NEXT OUR VICE MAYOR IS GOING TO SET THOSE PALMDALE KILLERS STRAIGHT BY TAKING HIS COM-PUTER ON THE ROAD AND SHOWING THEM ALL ONCE AND FOR ALL THAT THE EVIL POWER PLANT WILL KILL OUR CHILDREN. TRUE OR NOT OUR VICE MAYOR WILL SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT. THAT POWER PLANT WILL KILL OUR CHILDREN. EVEN IF IT AINT TRUE.
GOOD TO SEE MAYOR PARRIS CONTINUE WITH HIS ECONOMIC STIMULUS PROGRAM FOR LANCASTER. ALTHOUGH HIS CHINESE BIRTH PROGRAM BLEW UP IN HIS FACE, HE IS KEEPING THE LAWYERS BUSY WITH HIS MANY LAWSUITS. THANK GOODNESS HE CANNOT SEEM TO KEEP HIS WORDS TO HIMSELF. IF NOT WE WOULD NOT HAVE ALL THESE LAWSUITS:
Coalition for Open Government v. City of Lancaster, Case No. BC499047
Quartz Hills Cares v. City of Lancaster, Case No. BS 122336
Palmdale v. Lancaster – Case No. BC443280
Lancaster v. Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles (HACoLA) Case No. MC023649
Rubin v. Lancaster – United States District Court Case No. CV 10-4046 DSF (JCx)
Miracle Star Women’s Recovering Community, Inc. et al. v. City of Lancaster, et al. LASC Case No. MC 020079
Save Our Neighborhood Group v. City of Lancaster, et al. Los Angeles Superior Court Case No. BS 121501.
GOOD TO SEE WE SETTLED WITH ALLIED ARTS FOR $21,000. NOW MAYOR PARRIS CAN HAVE HIS BOARD AND CONTROL THE THEATER.
NOW YOU UP TO DATE ON WHAT’S GOING ON IN LANCASTER. THIS HAS BEEN CAP’N LANCASTER. AT EASE!
Aaron P says
If the city of Lancaster wants to prove something than the best thing is to get some scientists and doctors to talk instead of a vice mayor that does not have any credentials in the field except for being a fear mongerer and reading a script. I watched the video and would not believe a word coming out of his mouth.
Palmdalian says
When will our mayor get a clue that this power plant is a terrible choice. He has made some good choices, but this one is ridiculous.
Bobby says
Was there any talk or bad news coming from the massive solar park being produced now off of Ave M and 20th west? Right acoss the streets from residents?
Why is the one on M OK, but the one in Palmdale not? Tax money and breaks?
jon says
or the one that dug up a huge chunk of the poppy fields?
Chad says
Oh, you must mean the one that has been pumping 1/4 million dollars PLUS a week into our LOCAL economy through payroll for LOCAL workers for the last 2.5 years? Is that the one you’re referring to jon? There is plenty of poppy reserve.
mThirteen says
Yeah Chad, the one that is “Pumping 1/4 million dollars PLUS a week into our LOCAL economy.” We can see all those “1/4 million” just by driving around this dilapidated town, what with the streets paved of gold and the local business’ thriving. There is not a vacant building or storefront anywhere. No potholes, no blight, no vagrancy, no crime and not a single person on the dole. By god Lancaster is doing swell. Ugh.
More Poppies, less Mayor R Rex McCheese.
Williamq says
Just heard on TWC3 news that Lancaster is going to spend $1.7 million to ‘fix up’ the intersection of 10th Street West and the BLVD to make the BLVD a ‘destination’ because, y’know, no one knows where it is after 3-4 years of Parris yapping about it.
rigrhonda says
I grew up living on Avenue M at 15th Street West, facing toward that expanse of desert that now will have solar panels. What a lousy location (across the street from residences) for a “power plant”! I can’t wait to hear about the dust storms once they rip and scrape that sandy desert land devoid of all vegetation.
Congratulations to the Mayor and City Council of Lancaster, CA. You’ve taken Lancaster from an ugly small town to a really ugly bigger city, with all its attendant problems. Sounds to me like Lancaster voters need to go to the polls and clean house.