The Imperial Irrigation District has executed agreements with BHE Renewables, through its CalEnergy subsidiary, which include 86 megawatts of around-the-clock geothermal energy from the Salton Sea 4 and Leathers geothermal projects in Calipatria, along with additional capacity from the Yuma Cogeneration natural gas facility in Yuma, Arizona.
"Together, these resources will strengthen IID’s energy portfolio and help meet growing demand across the Imperial and Coachella Valleys," the California public power utility said on Sept. 21.
“These agreements are about making sure IID continues to provide reliable public power while planning responsibly for the future,” said IID General Manager Jamie Asbury. “By adding established resources to our portfolio, including local renewable geothermal energy, IID is strengthening reliability for customers and continuing to meet the needs of our community-owned public power utility.”
The geothermal agreements include 44 megawatts from the Salton Sea 4 project and 42 megawatts from the Leathers project. Both agreements include geothermal energy and associated renewable energy credits, with deliveries to IID beginning Jan. 1, 2027.
Geothermal energy provides reliable, around-the-clock renewable power, making it an important resource for IID, particularly during the hot summer months when electricity use is at its highest, IID noted.
These geothermal resources also support IID’s efforts to meet California’s Renewable Portfolio Standards and greenhouse gas reduction requirements.
IID’s resource plan also includes capacity from the Yuma Cogeneration facility, an established natural gas-fueled combined-cycle resource.
While not a renewable resource, Yuma Cogeneration supports reliability by helping IID meet future peak demand periods, maintain required capacity margins and reduce reliance on spot market purchases during periods of high system demand.
The 10-year geothermal agreements also support continued operations and the local workforce associated with these generating facilities, while providing IID customers with a dependable source of renewable energy.
The resources align with IID’s 2024 Integrated Resource Plan, which includes expanded geothermal generation and additional capacity resources as part of the District’s long-term energy planning.
“As a community-owned utility, IID is focused on making decisions that serve customers today while preparing for tomorrow,” Asbury said. “Reliable power, renewable resources and responsible planning all work together to support the communities we serve.”
“We are pleased to continue to partner with IID to provide dependable energy to the communities they serve,” said Vice President of Generation Operations, Geothermal and Gas, Eric Bowen. “These agreements support the local workforce and the communities where they live. BHE Renewables, through its CalEnergy subsidiary, is proud to be a key contributor to economic growth and long-term investment in California’s Imperial Valley.”
IID said it will continue evaluating energy resources that support reliability, affordability, regulatory compliance and long-term energy needs for its customers.
