[Water_news] 5. DWR'S CALIFORNIA WATER NEWS: AGENCIES, PROGRAMS, PEOPLE - 9/12/07

Department of Water Resources

California Water News

A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment

 

September 12, 2007

 

5. Agencies, Programs, People

 

Shields get nod to take over top SSJID job

Manteca Bulletin – 9/12/07

 

Jeff Shields - the man who successfully established the Trinity County Public Utilities District by carving it out of PG&E territory - is taking over as general manager of the South San Joaquin Irrigation District.

The SSJID board emerged from closed session Tuesday to announce Shields' appointment to replace Steve Stroud who is retiring in November.

"He's a good man," SSJID director Ralph Roos said of Shields.

Roos said the appointment should be taken as a sign that the irrigation district board remains as serious as ever about its mission to reduce power rates across the board in Manteca, Ripon, and Escalon by obtaining the PG&E retail distribution system.

Roos said SSJID was fortunate to have an -in-house candidate who was qualified to take the job to assure continuity especially when SSJID is at a critical juncture in its bid to reduce energy costs for district farmers and urban users.

"To go through a full-scale search with a head hunter can take months and then you have transition periods that take time," Roos said. "You can easily take a year or more. It is a blessing to have someone on staff who can handle the job."

Shields, 57, has worked with SSJID as the utility services director for three years. He has more than 30 years experience in public utility operations as well as in county government. The board will replace Shields as utility systems director.

He's helped several agencies enter the retail power business with the expressed goal of reducing retail electricity costs. One of those agencies was the Trinity County Public Utilities District in northeast California. He was the executive director who oversaw the creation of a publicly-owned retail service that used the authority of the California constitution to take over the PG&E retail system in that community for the public good in the mid-1980s. Trinity did it in a bid to lower power costs so that industry would stop fleeing the county. It has been successful at generating jobs as well as keeping electric rates stagnant for over 20 years.

Shields was honored in 1991 by the American Public Power Association with the Larry Hobart Seven Hats Award for his successful efforts in Trinity of taking on PG&E, establishing a system and achieving stated policy goals.

Shields also has experience overseeing general utility districts including those that provide water.

There are a number of major initiatives being undertaken by the SSJID board that Shields will help oversee.

They include:

• Harnessing the benefits of the Tri-Dam System revenues to lower retail power costs at least 15 percent across the board throughout SSJID territory.

• The second phase of the surface water treatment facility.

• Upgrading and modernizing canals.

• Pursuing aggressive water and electricity conservation.

Shields said when he first applied to work at SSJID he was impressed with how well positioned the district was and how committed the board is to reducing energy costs and keeping a lid on water costs while finding ways to maximize both resources for economic growth for the district they serve.

He noted the irrigation system started almost 100 years ago and the surface water treatment plant "represent assets in excess of $400 million."

The SSJID also has a 50 percent share in the Tri Dam Project with Oakdale Irrigation District. The SSJID's cut of wholesale power sales from the system after expenses was in excess of $10 million last year.

That is why the district as of July 31, the district had $46.6 million in various accounts. It's annual operating budget is $12 million.

Shields and Stroud were instructed by the board to devise a transition plan for the top SSJID leadership post.

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