City of Santa Barbara to get paid to reduce energy consumption as part of new pilot incentive program
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The city of Santa Barbara will get paid $280,000 a year for turning off the Charles E. Meyer Desalination Plant during future heatwaves by energy company Enel-X.
This is a pilot program but Joshua Haggmark, the City's Water Resource Manager, said that this is a win-win for everyone.
"They don't have to turn on some gas-powered power plant, we get compensated for the lost revenue and cost for taking it off-line and we preserve the electric grid," Haggmark said.
This incentive program goes into effect on Oct. 1st.
Haggmark said it costs about $10,000 to shut down the desalination plant.
"If there are five events and we comply with three of them, we will get three-fifths of that $280,000. If we don't comply with any of the events because you know we're also in a water shortage situation, we just don't get any of the $280,000," he said.
This incentive program comes as California faces record heat, causing an intense strain on the power grid. A statewide flex alert urging California residents to conserve energy during the evening hours has been extended every day since Aug. 31, with the state recording an all-time high energy demand of over 52 million megawatts on Tuesday.
Just this week, the Santa Barbara Water Resources Division reduced its energy demand at its three treatment plants in response to the statewide energy crisis.
City officials say just by reducing demand at the city's three water treatment plants – William B. Cater Water Treatment Plant, Charles E. Meyer Desalination Plant, and El Estero Water Resource Center – during peak periods on Monday and Tuesday, the city reported a citywide consumption reduction of nearly 10%.
Haggmark said that the city is currently getting paid about $2,000 for every megawatt reduced or about $5,000 an hour for reducing its energy consumption.
The plants were still operational but operated under a condensed capacity. City officials added that when the desalination plant is turned off, the community should not feel an impact on their water supply.
"One of the things that this community has done is invest in a very diverse water supply. So, we're able to shift to different suppliers. We are able to pull from our groundwater basins," Haggmark said.
The city said that it will continue to decrease energy as needed.
