Hayward city officials will appear at a state hearing Thursday to oppose a request by Calpine Corp. to restart its power plant following an explosion and fire at the Russell City Energy Center.

The California Energy Commission’s public hearing on the request will be held on Zoom at 10 a.m.

Hayward Mayor Barbara Halliday and City Manager Kelly McAdoo will appear at the hearing “to testify against the restart until the cause of the May 27 explosion and fire is determined and a full assessment and public review of the safety risks and potential environmental and health impacts is complete,” according to a statement from the city.

The explosion at the plant sent “chunks of hot metal” flying hundreds of feet, ignited a fire and led to the evacuation of nearby residents, according to the city.

People who wish to participate in the meeting and provide public comments can attend via Zoom. To join, enter the meeting ID 938-6923-0237 and the password mtg@10am.

People can also participate by phone by calling 669-900-6833 or 888-475-4499 (toll free) and entering the meeting ID 938-6923-0237.

For Zoom technical support dial 888-799-9666 ext. 2, or email the CEC’s Public Advisor’s Office for help, or call 916-654-4489 or 800-822-6228.

Kiley Russell writes primarily for Local News Matters on issues related to equity and the environment. A Bay Area native, he has lived most of his life in Oakland. He studied journalism at San Francisco State University, worked for the Associated Press and the former Contra Costa Times, among other outlets. He has covered everything from state legislatures, local governments, federal and state courts, crime, growth and development, political campaigns of various stripes, wildfires and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.