Energy Sources

The San Joaquin Valley Power Authority's (Authority's) resource plan strives to create a diversified portfolio of electricity supplies capable of meeting the electric demands of the Authority's retail customers, plus sufficient reliability reserves. As a community choice aggregator, the Authority is responsible for scheduling sufficient electric supplies to meet the hour-by-hour demands of its customers.

The Authority must also adhere to capacity reserve requirements established by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) designed to address uncertainty in load forecasts and potential supply disruptions caused by generator outages and/or transmission contingencies. In addition, the Authority will be responsible for ensuring that its resource mix contains sufficient production from eligible renewable energy resources needed to comply with California's statewide renewable portfolio standard.

Several criteria were used to guide development of the Authority's resource plan. The Authority has developed an energy supply portfolio that strives to achieve the following attributes:

  • Reliability
  • Stability
  • Cost effectiveness
  • Environmental responsibility

The Authority will seek to maximize use of local generation resources in its resource plan, supplemented as needed by power purchases from resources both inside and outside of the San Joaquin Valley. Through a power services agreement executed with the Kings River Conservation District (KRCD), the Authority will secure energy from (1) not-for-profit generation resources owned and operated by KRCD and (2) purchased power procured by KRCD.

Market Purchases

To meet the energy requirements of the residents, businesses and municipal facilities located within the Authority's service area, KRCD is planning to purchase power on the market while it continues to permit, design and construct new power projects including various local renewable power projects in the region.

Renewable Power

As a community choice aggregator, the Authority is required by California law and the corresponding CPUC regulations to procure a portion of its retail electricity sales from qualified renewable energy resources.

In addition to purchasing renewable power on the market, KRCD is committed to developing new renewable energy projects right here in our valley. Renewable energy sources, such as small hydro, solar and biomass, are being explored in order to meet the renewable portfolio standard of 33 percent (of electricity consumed by the Community Choice program customers) by 2020. KRCD issued a Request for Proposals for Eligible Renewable Electric Power Supply in April 2007 to assist in this effort.

KRCD and Cleantech America, LLC, announced in July 2007 that they have entered into a multi-year agreement for Cleantech America to provide up to 80 megawatts of utility scale, emission-free, peak solar power.

Solar electricity on this scale would have significant beneficial, environmental and economic impacts for the region. At full build-out, the 80-megawatt solar farm would avoid over 100 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

KRCD is in the early stages of other local renewable projects and plans to make additional investment in renewable energy projects in the near future.

Last updated 3-2-10