The Truckee Donner Public Utility District Board of Directors wrapped up its May 6 and June 3 board meetings with a focus on long-term investments in electric reliability and wildfire safety, while also tending to key financial and regulatory business that keeps the utility running transparently and efficiently, the California public power utility said on June 17.
Martis Valley Substation Modernization – 2026 Phase
The board approved a construction services contract with RK Contractors, Inc. for the 2026 phase of the Martis Valley Substation Modernization project.
TDPUD engineering staff began developing plans for the substation modernization in 2021. Built in 1982, it is the last of TDPUD’s four substations to undergo a full modernization and rebuild.
Due to the size of the project, construction was divided into two phases. Phase 1, completed in 2025, focused on civil infrastructure work inside the substation yard.
The 2026 contract covers the electrical construction work needed to complete the rebuild and bring the modernized substation into service later this year. When complete, the project will ensure improved reliability, operability and maintainability of the substation into the future.
Electric Construction Services Contract for System Hardening (SRIP 6)
The board approved a construction services contract with Herman Weissker Power, Inc. for TDPUD’s Electric System Hardening project.
The project is part of TDPUD’s ongoing system hardening program to improve electric system reliability, reduce wildfire risk and modernize distribution infrastructure. Work includes installation of metal poles, covered conductor and associated system improvements along key segments of TDPUD’s distribution system.
Fiscal Year 2025 Audited Financial Report
The board accepted TDPUD’s audited financial report for fiscal year 2025. The audit was conducted by independent auditing firm Baker Tilly, whose resulting opinion is “unmodified” or “clean” — the highest level of assurance an auditor can provide on the fairness and accuracy of financial statements.
The acceptance reflects TDPUD’s ongoing commitment to financial transparency and responsible stewardship of ratepayer funds, the utility noted.
California Municipal Utilities Association Legislative and Regulatory Affairs Update
The board also received a workshop presentation from the California Municipal Utilities Association (CMUA) on major electric and water regulatory proceedings underway in Sacramento, along with an update on the current 2026 legislative session.
CMUA represents 84 publicly owned electric utilities, water and wastewater agencies statewide, providing water service to 75 percent of Californians and electric service to 25 percent of the state. CMUA advocates for its members’ interests before the California Legislature, the Governor’s Office, and state and federal regulatory agencies.
CMUA representatives shared information about some of its recent legislative and regulatory work, including the implementation of the Pathways regional energy market, the reauthorization of Cap-and-Invest, the Making Conservation a California Way of Life regulation, wildfire liability reform and the Advanced Clean Fleets regulation.
2025 Water Utility Annual Consumer Confidence Reports
The board approved TDPUD’s 2025 Water Utility Annual Consumer Confidence Reports (CCRs) for the Truckee Main System and the Hirschdale System. Required annually under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, the CCR provides customers with a summary of key water information, including the source of their water, levels of any detected contaminants and compliance with regulatory standards.
Both the Truckee Main System and the Hirschdale System produced potable water with no reportable violations over Maximum Contaminant Levels established by state and federal regulatory agencies during 2025.
2026 First-Quarter Power Cost Adjustment
The board approved a first-quarter 2026 Power Cost Adjustment (PCA) of $0.0019 per kilowatt-hour billed, to be applied as a charge on June, July and August 2026 electric bills. The PCA, established under Electric Rate Ordinance 2023-01, is calculated quarterly by comparing budgeted versus actual wholesale costs of purchased power. When actual costs exceed budget, a charge is applied; when costs come in below budget, customers receive a credit.
For the first quarter of 2026, actual power costs came in approximately 2 percent over budget, resulting in a net charge of $70,979 spread across all electric customers. The adjustment is estimated to increase the average residential monthly bill by $0.86 for June, July and August. Since the PCA program was adopted, customers have received a credit in seven of the eight prior quarters; this is only the second time a charge has been applied.
