International Water Power & Dam Construction
-- The El Dorado Irrigation District
(EID) board of directors has given the greenlight to include two small hydro power projects in EID’s 2009 – 2013 capital improvement program and has authorized funding for the design phase of the projects in northern California’s El Dorado County. The district will seek state certification of the projects as clean renewable energy. The projects – expected to go online in 2011 - were identified during a year-long study in conjunction with the El Dorado County Water Agency to seek hydroelectric power generation opportunities in the county. While several other potential projects were also on the list, district staff recommended only two for funding - the Pleasant Oak Main at Reservoir 7 and the El Dorado Main 2 at Reservoir 3.
The projects will be designed to take advantage of existing water flows and infrastructure at pressure reducing stations at the two reservoirs. In essence, the projects - consisting of in-conduit generators, concrete vaults, and a series of valves to change the direction of water flows - will capture energy that is currently dissipated and send it to Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s grid.
PG&E is offering feed-in tariffs for projects like the two proposed by EID. Once criteria are met, including state certification of clean power, PG&E will guarantee the district a price for energy produced over 20 years. When the projects operate during PG&E’s peak-use periods, that price can double.
District staff will collaborate with the consulting firm of Domenichelli and Associates throughout the design.
