A newly expanded Nevada plant is providing renewable energy to 22,500 Los Angeles households, reducing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking 14,600 cars off the road, DWP officials announced Tueday.
As part of its efforts to hit its mandated renewable energy target of 33 percent by 2020, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power signed a 20-year deal with the developer of the geothermal power plant in Mineral County, Nev.
The plant, built as an expansion of an existing facility and completed in August, 15 months ahead of schedule, is now supplying 16.2 megawatts to Los Angeles homes and businesses.
“The city of Los Angeles continues to lead on sustainability, benefiting now from reliable, renewable energy from the Don A. Campbell 2 Geothermal Power Plant,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said. “This brings us a step closer to achieving a clean energy future for Los Angeles by reducing gas emissions produced from fossil fuels.”
The plant is expected to help offset the loss of renewable energy from LADWP’s small hydropower plants, which have been hit by the severe drought.
“Geothermal energy is an incredibly vital renewable resource to have in our power portfolio because it generates power continuously, so we can rely on it for base load renewable power, 24/7,” LADWP General Manager Marcie Edwards said.
That predictability translates into savings on transmission and other costs as compared with wind and solar renewable energy, according to LADWP.
Power from the original and expanded Nevada plants will help LADWP eliminate coal-fired generation by 2025, officials said.
In 2013, the utility averaged 23 percent of its power sales from renewable energy and is on track to reach 25 percent next year. It is building a portfolio of wind, solar, biogas, small hydro and geothermal power to reach its 33 percent target by 2020.
— City News Service