San Diego County moves to cut energy, costs
North County Times, Escondido, Calif. --Sep. 29--SAN DIEGO
Sep. 29--SAN DIEGO -- Energized by reports that their earlier decisions to buy wholesale electricity and install energy-conserving equipment had shaved $655,000 off county power bills this last year, county supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to chase new power-saving measures.
Second, the board voted 4-0 to begin the process of renewing its "direct
access" contract that allowed the county to buy its electricity and natural
gas directly from a wholesale power supplier -- Constellation New Energy --
rather than the county's retail power provider, San Diego Gas & Electric Co.
Supervisor Greg Cox was absent from Tuesday's meeting. Supervisors Dianne
Jacob, Bill Horn and Pam Slater-Price and Ron Roberts voted for the actions.
Jeff Grissom of the county's General Services Department told supervisors
Tuesday that the county's direct-access contract with Constellation had shaved
$600,000 off what the county would have paid SDG&E since it went into effect
in January 2003.
However, Grissom said the county might be able to get an even better deal
than its expiring contract with Constellation because there are more wholesale
electricity and gas providers in the state than when the county negotiated its
first deal.
In addition to the county's direct-access savings, Grissom said the county
had saved an additional $55,000 in the last 10 months. He said the savings came
from the installation of solar panels and energy-saving equipment at county
buildings across the region -- paid for with a previously awarded $5 million
loan from the California Energy Commission.
He said the county hoped to win a new $5 million loan and install more
photo-voltaic solar panels, energy-efficient lighting, pumps, heating and
air-conditioning systems and automated energy management systems at several more
county buildings.
Grissom said county officials estimate the planned improvements would shave
another $1 million a year off the county's power bills.
He said the loan payment, which would be repaid over 10 years, would come to
$645,000 a year.
Jacob, the board's chairwoman, called the report and the opportunities to
shave more money off the county's power bills "extremely good news."
"This is a huge success," she said. "The cost savings
demonstrates the reasons why we need to continue to move forward on this. And
because on the direct-access issue, it's now an even more competitive market out
there ... we might even be able to do better."
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