Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
April 19, 2007
5. Agencies, Programs, People
HYDROELECTRIC POWER:
Ukiah hydroelectric plant set to generate power - Santa Rosa Press Democrat
City celebrates re-start of its hydroelectric plant at lake - Ukiah Daily Journal
Loan seeds levee upgrade - Marysville Appeal Democrat
HYDROELECTRIC POWER:
Ukiah hydroelectric plant set to generate power
Santa Rosa Press Democrat – 4/19/07
By Glenda Anderson, staff writer
After sitting idle for nearly half of its 20 years in existence, Ukiah's problem-plagued hydroelectric power plant at
"It should be up and running within days," project manager Murray Grande told officials from Ukiah, state Fish and Game, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Northern California Power Agency at ceremonies Wednesday marking the plant's reopening.
Ukiah City Councilman Doug Crane raised a glass to the plant, a wine glass he acquired at the plant's opening ceremony 20 years ago.
"Hopefully we will see the returns (the project's original planners) anticipated for this facility," he said.
Officials hope the plant will finally begin offsetting some of its costs, which include $3.5 million in recent repairs and a $2 million annual debt payment on the $23 million bond used to build the facility.
When it was previously operating, the plant contributed little to its debt payment, but as electric rates rose, its value has increased.
It's now expected to generate about $750,000 a year in energy, said Grande, a facilities manager with the Northern California Power Authority, who has been on loan to Ukiah during repairs.
But the cash will not immediately flow with the water.
With a drought expected to drop lake levels to a record-breaking low point this year, Grande said the plant may produce about half that much energy.
At full capacity, the plant is capable of producing 3.5 megawatts but that amount of generation can only be maintained when water flows are high, usually in the winter, Grande said.
Based on historical flows, he estimated the plant realistically will produce 15,000 megawatt hours a year, about 12 percent of Ukiah's annual power consumption.
Power generation at the plant was halted almost nine years ago in order to repair a large sliding door called a tainter valve.
It initially was expected to require simple repairs, but the plant's design had become outmoded and no longer complied with regulations intended to safeguard fish populations.
Whenever the plant was shut and restarted, water flowing from
That's no longer acceptable under rules to protect endangered fish in the
The facility languished for several years because it had never been profitable and officials questioned whether it was worth repairing. But the process toward repair restarted in 2004 and modifications were made to allow water to continue running into the river with only a brief interruption while it was shut.
More problems followed.
In early 2006, heavy rains flooded the underground bunker, causing additional damage. While making flood-related repairs, workers discovered the turbines themselves needed work.
The city also has added new control equipment that allows the facility to be electronically monitored and operated by the power authority from its headquarters near
The new controls have the added benefit of allowing water flows out of the lake to be adjusted more quickly keeping more water in Lake Mendocino, which will be particularly useful during low water years. #
http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070419/NEWS/704190316/1033/NEWS01
City celebrates re-start of its hydroelectric plant at lake
Ukiah Daily Journal – 4/19/07
By Katie Mintz, staff writer
Nearly 20 years after its first dedication, and close to a decade since it last generated power, the city of
A modest ceremony held Wednesday afternoon at the facility at
"We should be up and running, generating electricity, literally, within days," Murray Grande, plant project manager from the Northern California Power Authority, said to the small crowd that attended the ceremony and toured the plant Wednesday.
The hydroplant, which generates power by harnessing the force of the water flowing through the dam into the
The smaller of the two turbines was first started March 21 for testing. It has recently developed a minor mechanical problem, but Grande said it will be operating around the clock soon. The larger unit, which is expected to be used primarily for high winter flows through the dam from January to April, has also begun testing.
Grande said the combined, total capacity of 3.5 megawatts is enough to meet the daily electric needs of 1,000 residents. He estimates that the energy produced by the plant will cover 10 percent to 12 percent of the city's annual consumption.
"That will go a long way to offset the cost to the city," he said.
Currently, the city pays $2 million a year toward its $23 million bond, widely approved by voters more than two decades ago, to build the plant. However, since 1998, the plant has been inoperable.
Initially, it was closed for just minor repairs, but state and federal regulations put in place to protect endangered fish in the
"For some years, it was the belief of the city that it was not economical to utilize the plant, but we still paid our $2 million a year for debt service," Councilman Douglas Crane said at the ceremony.
Crane, the council's representative to the NCPA, credited former Utilities Director Bernie Ziemianek for taking the lead to refurbish the plant in 2005.
Since then, approximately $4.7 million has been spent on bringing the plant to working order, including about $2.5 million on flood-related damages that are expected to be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
With the plant nearing full-time operation, city councilmembers are looking forward to paying off the project.
Mayor Mari Rodin said at the ceremony it doesn't take "an engineer or economist" to appreciate the re-start of the plant after nine years of losing money.
Grande said within five years, the cost of refurbishment will be covered by the electricity generated. The bond is expected to be paid down by 2018.
Grande added that the plant will aid in conserving water in
Currently, the Army Corps of Engineers controls the release of water through the dam at the request of the Sonoma County Water Agency. The Corps, however, is not always available to make adjustments to the flow immediately.
The plant will now be remotely operated by NCPA's 24-hour monitoring station in
Jim Pope, general manager for the NCPA, called the re-start a "win-win-win-win" situation at the ceremony, referencing the revenue for the city the plant will generate, the reliability of the remote operating system, the environment-conscious source of energy and the fish, which are now protected by improvements to the plant. #
http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ci_5703927
Loan seeds levee upgrade
Marysville Appeal Democrat – 4/19/07
Levee District 1 is close to applying for early Proposition 1E funds for a Star Bend setback levee after
“If we’re saying levee protection is our No. 1 priority, it’s time to put our money where our mouth is,” said Yuba City Councilman Kash Gill.
The money will cover a $3 million local match plus another $2 million to advance funds for construction. It gives LD 1 a shot at having one of the first projects funded from the $4.1 billion levee bond passed by voters in November.
It also alleviates concerns that the local match money would not come together, jeopardizing a chance to get a millions in bond money.
If it approves the Star Bend project, the state Department of Water Resources would pay for about $17 million of the setback levee as part of a $200 million round of early bond funding.
LD 1 General Manager Bill Hampton said plans are to work on the application through this week. The deadline is May 1, which
The $20 million Star Bend setback levee would build a 3,400-foot embankment away from the river channel. The new levee would straighten out a levee bend which is the site of frequent problems during high water.
A failure at Star Bend could unleash flood waters that would back up to parts of south
“We’re going to straighten the levee, make everybody safe,” said LD 1 board member Francis Silva.
Sutter County Supervisor Larry Montna recalled the 1955 levee break when mentioning his support.
“I was 15, 16, when that happened, and I sure as hell don’t want to go through another one,” Montna said. “It’s no fun, that water chasing you in the middle of the night. Whatever we have to do to protect
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