Current District Projects
Tuolumne Wind Project
The Tuolumne Wind Project consists of 62 turbines which will generate a total of 137 megawatts, enough green energy to power approximately 44,000 households each year. Completion of the project would add a significant amount of renewable energy to the District’s portfolio, taking it to 28 percent qualified renewable energy, eight years ahead of the Board adopted goal of 20 percent by 2017.
The project is located in Klickitat County, Washington along the Columbia River. This site has been recognized as one of the most productive wind resource areas in the Western United States. The project is expected to be in commercial operation by March 2009.
This is TID’s first investment in wind facilities. Currently, TID’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) includes small hydro, solar and geothermal.
Fuel Cell Project
TID has just installed the largest fuel cell in California. The 1.2 megawatt fuel cell is located at the City of Turlock’s Regional Water Quality Control Facility to convert methane gas produced by this facility into electricity.
The City of Turlock provided the property for the new power plant, the methane gas for fuel as well as cooling water. Previously, the methane gas was utilized to operate three boilers with the remaining portion being flared off. In addition, the city will provide the water needed for cooling purposes. Waste heat from the fuel cell reaction will be utilized to heat water for various processes at the wastewater treatment facility. The City will receive some revenue from the electrical power produced.
Because fuel cells involve no combustion – converting renewable methane gas into electricity electrochemically – they operate hundreds of times cleaner than conventional power generators. Fuel cells significantly reduce nitrogen oxides, particulates and sulfur dioxides.
Domestic Water Project
Turlock Irrigation District has prepared an EIR (Environmental Impact Report) on the District’s proposal to construct a new water treatment plant in Stanislaus County, near Hughson. The new plant would be located in the vicinity of the intersection of Geer and Hatch Roads and would treat water drawn from the Tuolumne River near the Geer Road Bridge.
Water for the treatment plant would be released as needed from Don Pedro Reservoir, flowing down the river to an infiltration gallery pipe system in the bed of the river, where it would be collected and pumped to the plant for treatment. Treated water would then be conveyed via new pipelines to the communities of Turlock, Ceres, South Modesto and Hughson which currently rely on groundwater supplies exclusively for their drinking water needs.
Delivering the project water down 25 miles of the river would allow that water to pass through critical spawning and rearing reaches of the river before being diverted for consumptive use. In this manner, water used for urban supplies would also provide significant environmental benefits to Chinook salmon and other fish that live in the Tuolumne River. The EIR addresses the potential environmental effects of constructing and operating the proposed project.
Pumped-Storage Hydroelectric Project
The Turlock Irrigation District is researching to build it's first-ever pumped-storage hydroelectric project to provide energy during customers’ peak consumption periods.
As envisioned, the Don Pedro Pumped Storage Project would more fully utilize the Tuolumne River water resources to provide a firm source of peaking capacity. The Districts are working closely with all pertinent parties to ensure that the operations within the existing Don Pedro Reservoir, as well as downstream users, are in no way negatively impacted and ensure that all interested entities view the proposed project as an asset.
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