Nevada Irrigation District goes green, now using 95-percent renewable energy

As the world seeks to tackle the growing threat of climate change and do its part to meet California's goal of 100-percent clean energy by 2045, the Nevada Irrigation District announced it is using 95-percent clean, renewable energy to power all its operations, effective this June. To accomplish this, NID has changed where it gets its power, from PG&E providing only about 33-percent renewable to the clean, renewable hydropower it generates at its Scotts Flat Powerhouse. In addition to the environmental benefits, the cost of energy to the district will be stabilized, insulating NID customer's from PG&E rate increases. "NID is a leader among water agencies in the production of clean, renewable hydropower and, with this change, we become a leader in the use of that clean, renewable power," Keane Sommers, manager of Hydroelectric Operations, said. "This step is also further evidence that NID is acting on its sustainability policy that calls for NID to become more socially, environmentally and economically sustainable." While most of the NID facilities in Nevada, Placer and Yuba counties, including the main administrative building and water treatment plants, will use 100-percent clean renewable power, some smaller facilities still need to be converted, leaving NID just short of 100 percent overall. NID views this transition to green energy as just the beginning. In the 1960s, the community invested in NID's hydroelectric powerhouses and, in the future, NID looks forward to making this clean, renewable power available to other local users at better than PG&E rates. NID operates seven hydroelectric plants and 12 miles of overhead power lines that deliver 83 Megawatts of clean, renewable energy to the power grid. Every year, the revenue from hydroelectric sales offsets water rates for the district's 30,000 customers in Nevada, Placer and Yuba counties.