South San Joaquin Irrigation District plans solar power farm (2 MW)

[jpak]

http://www.mantecabulletin.com/articles/2007/02/02/news/news1.txt

Expensive and unreliable PG&E power for the water treatment plant serving Manteca, Lathrop, and Tracy is prompting the South San Joaquin Irrigation District to go solar.

A seven-acre solar array farm — which will be among the largest in California — is being planned adjacent to the state-of-the-art surface water treatment plant that opened 18 months ago. It is located 15 miles northeast of Manteca on Dodds Road near the base of Woodward Reservoir.

SSJID powers systems manager Jeff Shields noted the power load for the treatment plant is one megawatt. To assure adequate supplies due to bad weather and non-daytime hours, the solar farm will have the ability to generate two megawatts.

It could wipe out most — if not all — of the $500,000 annual electric bill needed to run the treatment plant.

<more>