Jan. 30--ESCONDIDO -- Plans to significantly modernize one of Escondido's three "peaker" power plants have been delayed until 2010 because of equipment problems and a request from San Diego Gas & Electric.

The $50 million upgrade is expected to reduce air pollution from the plant by 39 percent and increase the amount of electricity it produces by 6 percent. Peaker plants supply electricity when larger power plants can't meet demand, mainly on hot summer days when air conditioners approach maximum usage.

The company that owns the plant, New York-based MMC, had planned the upgrades for this winter and spring, with the plant slated to reopen this June to meet the summer demand.

But when difficulty acquiring the necessary equipment began to jeopardize that timeline, company officials decided to wait a year instead of risking that they would miss the crucial summer months, said Harry Scarborough, MMC's senior vice president of operations.

Scarborough said Thursday that the decision was also influenced by a request from SDG&E, which relies on peaker plants for help meeting summer demand.

SDG&E officials could not be reached for comment Thursday.

MMC now plans to complete the upgrades in winter and spring 2010 and open the upgraded facility in June 2010, Scarborough said. The plant is off Mission Road, near the city's border with San Marcos.

On Tuesday, the Escondido Planning Commission unanimously agreed to grant the company a one-year extension of the conditional use permit the commission approved for the project in January 2008.

Darol Caster, chairman of the commission, said Thursday that the request seemed very straightforward because the company was not seeking any design changes or rules exemptions, just an extension.

Scarborough said the delay was not caused by the economic downturn and that his company is still fully committed to modernizing the plant.

"The chances are as close as they can be to 100 percent," he said.

Scarborough said the company has made progress on the project in recent months, including:

--paying $18.7 million for a new turbine and other equipment;

--spending $670,000 for design and engineering work;

--soliciting and receiving bids from five general contractors; and

--receiving a permit from the San Diego Air Pollution Control District.

The pollution control permit was granted last July, according to Tom Weeks, the district's chief of engineering.

"We did an initial evaluation and it looks like it will comply with all our applicable rules and regulations," Weeks said Thursday.