TID looks to boost renewable power

The Turlock Irrigation District board took a step Tuesday toward securing renewable power sources for the future.

Directors voted 4-1, with Rob Santos dissenting, to have the district’s staff complete negotiations on a 20-year contract with an unnamed supplier.

The contract would help TID meet a state mandate to get at least 33 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2020. The district has met most of it by building a wind project in Washington state, but other sources are needed, too.

The options include wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and small hydroelectric plants. The hydro system at Don Pedro Reservoir, which TID shares with the Modesto Irrigation District, is too big to qualify. Environmentalists have successfully fought to have large hydro projects not count as a renewable source.

The mandate aims to cut down on electricity from fossil fuels, which emit carbon dioxide, believed to be contributing to a general warming of the planet.

The contract would help if lawmakers increase the renewable mandate to 50 percent by 2030, said Willie Manuel, resource planning department manager.

Santos cited “political uncertainty” in voting against a 20-year contract.

The staff looked at a few alternatives, including annual electricity purchases, a 10-year contract or district ownership of the power plant. All likely would cost more than a 20-year deal, Manuel said.

The contract would meet about 10 percent of the demand from the nearly 100,000 customers in TID. Plants fueled by natural gas are its top source, and it also draws on a coal plant in Oregon and other sources.

This story was originally published March 24, 2015 at 2:05 PM with the headline "TID looks to boost renewable power."