Pacific Gas & Electric (PCG) has agreed to speed up its acquisition of the Colusa Generating Station and take over the project from E&L Westcoast, LLC, the company said Thursday.

E&L Westcoast had agreed around 2004 to develop the natural gas generating station for PG&E and turn it over on completion, but recently notified the San Francisco-based utility that it wanted to terminate the agreement.

PG&E filed an application on Wednesday with the California Public Utilities Commission for authorization to take over the project and directly develop and construct the station. The project already has CPUC approval.

The 657-megawatt station should come online in 2010 as planned if PG&E’s current application is approved, the company said. It will produce enough power to supply nearly 500,000 customers.