Calpine and Cisco Debate Over Coyote Valley

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Calpine and Cisco debate over Coyote Valley

Throughout the years the technology industry has been growing with incredible speed expanding all over California. San Jose is known as the capital of Silicon Valley where major technology companies and start-ups call home. With fast spreading companies it is necessary to have enough power in San Jose to supply the increase in energy demand. Recently there was a plan proposed to the City of San Jose by Calpine Corporation to build a power plant in Coyote Valley. Nearby residents and several other organizations, including Mayor Ron Gonzales, are against this plan due to environmental hazards and safety precautions with schools and residents. It is possible the power plant can bring to San Jose several positive outcomes that will help develop the city into the center of the technology world. Although the power plant sounds like it would benefit San Jose by creating jobs and providing energy, the Metcalf Energy Center can cause severe consequences to the city in the future.

The power plant is expected to bring more jobs to San Jose during the construction phase. “This project also promises to save customers in California up to $1.8 billion dollars by 2010” (Levey 1) . There certainly is a very high demand in power with the growing technology industry. The state of California fears that if the power plant is not built there will be a shortage of power in the state. “If the San Jose City Council decides not to rezone land for the project, the state could take the unprecedented step of overriding a community's opposition to a new power plant. California has faced persistent power shortages this year. And state analysts already have recommended approving the project” (Levey 1) . If Calpine get approval to begin constructing the power plant, San Jose will have several problems in the future.

Ethical Issues

Is it ethical to build a power plant that will pollute the air and possibly hurt the health of nearby residents? If the power plant is built in San Jose there are people who say that the environment would rapidly degrade the South Bay. City officials are questioning whether the 600-megawatt power plant will give off small amounts of pollutants.

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