Date: June 17, 2004

Photos posted June 19, 2004

• Rep. Zoe Lofgren commends district on progressive, state-of-the-art energy management

• Deputy Secretary of Energy for California's Resources Agency, Joe Desmond, shares his thoughts on the bright future of renewable energy in California

• San Jose/Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce ambassadors, District Director Rosemary Kamei, Rep. Lofgren, Deputy Secretary of Energy Joe Desmond, and District board directors Larry Wilson, Sig Sanchez, Greg Zlotnick and Tony Estremera help throw the ceremonial switch to dedicate the solar project

Santa Clara Valley Water District unveils solar energy project

SAN JOSE –- State and federal officials are helping “flip the switch” Saturday, June 19, on a solar energy project that is supplying about 20 percent of the Santa Clara Valley Water District’s energy needs at its South San Jose campus.

On top of carports nestled among oak and redwood trees and hidden atop one of the district’s buildings, state-of-the-art, high-efficiency photovoltaic cells are generating as much as 200 kilowatts of power. The $2.4 million project is being formally dedicated during a 10 a.m. ceremony at 5700 Almaden Expressway (one block south of Blossom Hill Road), San Jose.

“The solar project was conceived and built as a way to achieve some independence in these times of unreliable and expensive energy,” said Joe Judge, chairman of the water district board of directors.

“When we can accomplish that in an environmentally responsible manner and save taxpayers money in the process, it’s a benefit for the entire community.”

The solar project reduces carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 412,699 pounds per year, the equivalent of CO2 produced annually by 53 gasoline-burning vehicles.

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global climate changes, including water shortages and drought. The water district’s effort to reduce CO2 emissions is the first step by a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-sponsored collaboration of Silicon Valley businesses and public agencies – known as Sustainable Silicon Valley – to achieve a 20 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions in Santa Clara County by 2010.

“As our nation struggles toward a forward-thinking energy policy, efforts using technology such as ‘Sustainable Silicon Valley’ should be applauded and recognized," said Rep. Zoe Lofgren, who will attend Saturday’s solar project dedication.

"These are important first steps toward energy independence and I hope this type of innovation and creativity will continue.”
Joining Lofgren will be Joe Desmond, deputy secretary of energy for the California Resources Agency.

Aside from helping wean the water district from the “grid,” the solar project is saving taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars annually in energy costs.

The solar energy project is the first in a two-part series of construction to power the district’s campus with alternative energy sources.

Next summer, construction begins on a natural gas-fired cogeneration plant to harness additional clean energy. An 800-kilowatt natural-gas generator and heat-recovery unit will power the system.

When the cogeneration project is finished, it and the solar project will:

• Save taxpayers about $240,000 a year in energy costs,

• Produce 2,862 megawatt hours per year of electrical energy, the equivalent of 690 typical families’ annual electrical needs,

• Fulfill the water district’s entire campus energy needs, under most circumstances.

The alternative energy projects are also helping the water district attain certification in the County of Santa Clara’s Green Business Program, a regional joint venture for certifying businesses that operate using environmentally sound practices.

The Santa Clara Valley Water District manages Santa Clara County's wholesale drinking water resources, coordinates flood protection for its 1.7 million residents and provides stewardship for the county's 10 reservoirs and more than 800 miles of streams.

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