News Article

August 13, 2008
Kings County plugging into energy savings
By The Valley Voice Newspaper

Kings County Board of Supervisors agreed to a contract with Chevron Energy Solutions July 22, setting in motion energy savings projects at the county's government center that for the next 20 years will more than pay their way. So says public works director Harry Verheul who estimates the dollar savings to the county over the life of the contract at more than $12.7 million. "That's what we will save based on energy improvements that we would otherwise have had to pay to Edison."

Chevron is working with a number of local cities and agencies on energy projects throughout the Central Valley, including in Lemoore where a solar roof project and other energy savings measures are underway. Chevron has been busy in Tulare County, in Dinuba and at Fresno State where the company installed a solar parking building that is generating 20% of Fresno State's electricity.

In Kings County's case, the savings comes after Chevron did an analysis for the government center that includes a series of incentives offered by the state to retire outdated heating and chilling equipment while more efficient equipment is installed.

Among the new equipment that will be put in as part of the contract are new chillers said to be 40% more efficient, new boilers that replace 35-year-old equipment, thermal storage equipment, variable frequency drives that improve air flow, building lighting retrofitting, new energy management systems and the demolition of the thermal storage unit at the old jail.

Lastly, the plan calls for connecting the Superior Court annex to the existing central plant eliminating an older system. All this work is being done in coordination with the construction of the new 30,000-square-foot Human Services building, says Verheul.

Kings County has done such "lump sum negotiated payment" before - some 10 years ago when it replaced old lighting with more efficient systems. "Replacing these old systems just makes sense," argues Verheul. The state pays for conservation measures - so-called "negawatts" to limit the need for new power plants in California to meet energy needs in the future. Clearly, conservation can go a long way.

Not everybody agrees that Chevron is the right partner with community members in Lemoore, complaining about that town's agreement with the big energy company without competitive bidding, and complaining that Chevron was making too much on the deal. Lemoore is moving forward on its project nevertheless.

Kings County looks to save more when a new public power supplier - the San Joaquin Power Authority - begins to deliver electricity next year offering member jurisdictions like Kings County at least a 5% saving on their power bill over the private utility rates. That becomes even more important with the recent big rise in oil and gas prices, prompting the big California utilities to call for a new round of rate increases.