Energy Companies Propose Plant Near Rosarito

SAN DIEGO — A $600-million power plant has been proposed for the Rosarito area in Baja California by a consortium of leading California and Mexican companies, including Pacific Enterprises of Los Angeles and Enova Corp. of San Diego.

The facility would bring natural-gas-powered energy to up to a million homes and facilitate industrial expansion in the fast-growing region.

The group responded to a request by the Mexican government for expressions of interest in building a 600-megawatt plant in Rosarito, about 20 miles south of the U.S.-Mexico border. Several other Mexican and international groups also submitted proposals by the Monday deadline, but government officials declined to identify them.

Mexico is trying to privatize parts of its energy industry and promote clean-burning gas power to meet tough environmental laws taking effect by 2000. The government has invited foreign firms to bid on new power plants and delivery systems, ending the energy monopoly long held by Pemex, the state-owned company.

Pacific Enterprises, parent of Southern California Gas, and Enova, parent of San Diego Gas & Electric, are joined in the consortium by contracting giant Bechtel Corp., Pacific Gas & Electric Co. of San Francisco and two Mexican companies, Bufete Industrial and Proxima, said George Liparidis, director of projects for Enova International.

They propose shipping natural gas south to the Rosarito plant from California via a 22-mile pipeline. Mexico’s natural gas pipeline grid now stops more than 100 miles east of Baja California.

The submissions are a prelude to a formal bidding process that could begin as early as September for a new Rosarito facility and four other power plants in Mexico. An existing plant in Rosarito that burns highly pollutive fuel oil is to be renovated or replaced.