Oct. 21--No new power plants should come to Carlsbad's coastline anytime soon, the City Council decided Tuesday.

With the full support of a local citizens' group, the council unanimously approved an emergency moratorium on the building of power plants in its coastal zone and authorized city staff to research new options for the existing Encina Power Station property. The ban will go into effect immediately, last 45 days and can be extended after that date by council action.

Whether the ban will prevent the building of a proposed 558-megawatt power plant on the Encina Power Station property next to Agua Hedionda Lagoon is in debate.

Members of the Power of Vision group that opposes that project called Tuesday night's council vote a "forward-thinking" and "courageous" decision that would help the city beautify its coastline.

"I just want to applaud you," said group member Kerry Siekmann, who lives near the Encina Power Station.

But an attorney for power plant owner NRG Energy Inc. called it a "misplaced attempt" by the city to exercise jurisdiction over an issue it can't control.

The state of California, not the city of Carlsbad, has authority over power-plant projects, said Ronald Rouse, an attorney representing NRG Energy.

NRG Energy submitted its plans for the project to the state Energy Commission in 2007, and the state commission's staff assessment of those plans is expected to be released later this month or early next month.

The new plant would produce enough power for about 400,000 homes. It is proposed to go on the far eastern end of the Encina property between the railroad tracks and Interstate 5.

Rouse said Tuesday that he believes the council's agenda item contains "many legal and factual flaws." Among other things, he said, there is no "emergency" and thus no need for a sudden moratorium declaration. The city knew for several years that this project was in the works, and has frequently participated in the state review process, he said.

Joe Garuba, the city's lead person on the power plant issue, told the council that there was a very good reason to issue an emergency declaration now. A decision is timely because state commission's staff members are about to issue their assessment of the project, he said.

By voting on a moratorium, the city sends a strong message that it has no desire to have the proposed plant at the Encina site, he added.

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