A California Energy Commission committee issued a decision on Friday recommending licensing the Turlock Irrigation District’s proposed 174-megawatt Almond 2 Power Plant.

The presiding members’ proposed decision found the new facility, as mitigated, will have no significant impacts on the environment and complies with applicable laws, ordinances, regulations, and standards.

The district hopes to use the new power plant, sited adjacent to the existing 48-megawatt Almond 1 Power Plant on Crows Landing Road near Ceres, to reduce emissions, provide protection against power outages, and to assist with meeting balancing authority operations. As one of five state-approved balancing authorities, the district must guarantee sufficient reserve generation capacity to meet grid demands, currently forcing TID to run existing generators below maximum potentials.

The proposed decision is not a final action to approve the project. The CEC will receive 30 days of public comment before bringing the proposed decision before the full commission for a final decision.

The full decision can be found on the commission’s website at http://www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/almond/documents/index.html