Port of Oakland eyes power plant purchase

Port of Oakland eyes power plant purchase    The Port of Oakland is considering joining a consortium to buy a power plant in central California to ease rising electricity costs at the growing port, the Oakland Tribune reported Wednesday.
   Next week, the port's commission will consider whether to join other members of the Northern California Power Agency, a group of 18 smaller agencies including Alameda Power and Telecom and the city of Santa Clara, that is eyeing up the purchase of Resource 500, a five-year-old, 500-megawatt gas generator in California's Central Valley.
   The group combines resources to purchase power from private firms such as Coral, BP and Sempra.
   A port spokeswoman told the Tribune that the idea behind the power plant purchase is to hedge against rising energy costs as the port's usage grows. The port also has jurisdiction over Oakland International Airport and waterfront property in Alameda County.