MWA officials briefed on State Water Project energy costs (April 25, 2015)

APPLE VALLEY — Mojave Water Agency directors were briefed at their meeting Thursday on how state energy policies are affecting the price of water.

Change in policy has been the driver in charge of water costs, Timothy Haines, deputy general manager of State Water Contractors, said. Each sector of the economy is going to compress the amount of electricity used.

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As far as Gov. Jerry Brown’s mandate for achieving 33 percent energy from renewable sources by 2020, the State Water Project has already met the goal, Haines said. Fifty-six percent of SWP’s annual electrical needs come from hydroelectric power the SWP generates itself, 5 percent more comes from outside hydro purchases and another 8 percent from non-hydro renewables.

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Mealoy said he calculates SWP and other statewide agencies would need to increase power purchases by $9 billion a year if the renewable-energy portfolio requirement moves to 50 percent by 2030. SWP’s portion of those energy costs would be passed on to the 27 state water contractors such as MWA, then to local water suppliers and eventually their ratepayers — household and business water users.

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Source: Gary Brodeur, Daily Press