Harnessing Energy From Reservoir — Once The Rains Come

A ceremonial snip of the ribbon brings a 30-year-old water wheel back in motion and eventually, green energy to the city of Santa Barbara.

“We’re very proud to have this project online and recommissioned,” said Cathy Taylor, manager of the city’s water system. “It was a great effort.”

The facility is known as the Gibraltar Conduit Hydroelectric Plant and sits near the Lauro Reservoir off Foothill Road.

The plant was mothballed in 1998.

“The cost was more than the revenue,” said project manager Bob Roebuck.

Jump ahead to 2012, when city leaders gave the project a second look.

“The water comes down the hill and drops into the lake behind us,” said Mike Maloney of SOAR Technologies, Inc. “From there, it’s used in Cater Water treatment and is part of the treated water for the city of Santa Barbara.”

A lesser-known incentive called California Renewable Energy Small Tariff program now makes the project financially feasible.

“We’re going to produce much more revenue, actually $200,000 a year … If we finally get some rain to fill up Gibraltar reservoir,” said Roebuck.

And when we do, the precious resource will stream from Gibraltar, through the plant’s powerhouse water wheel, and contribute energy for Southern California Edison (SCE) grids.

Experts say the harnessed energy will be enough to provide power to some 300 homes below.

Taylor says despite the drought, there is enough water to put the plant online. She expects that to happen before the end of summer.