Energy Efficiency, GHG Emissions, Utilities, Solar  -  February 13, 2020

SJW Group cuts emissions with clean energy, biofuels, solar installations

SJW Group, a California water and wastewater utility, is aiming to purchase 100% carbon-free power by the end of 2021, which is expected to save 4,682 tons of CO2 from 2019, and complete the installation of on-site solar, according to their newly released 2019 Sustainability Report.

By 2025, SJW plans to save an additional 290 tons of CO2 from 2019 through the installation of solar panels, for an overall carbon reduction goal of 5,000 tons by 2025 compared to a 2017 baseline.

“Sustainability plays a critical role in our corporate philosophy. We’re pleased to share the details of the many ways we’ve worked to be good stewards of your water, your resources and the environment,” Eric W. Thornburg, Chairman, President and CEO of SJW Group, said in a statement.

The report details how SJW already cut about 2,000 tons of CO2 per year by switching their energy providers and their fuel supply. The company switched to San Jose Clean Energy in 2019 and Silicon Valley Clean Energy in 2017, which provided a minimum of 1% energy cost savings and ensures the company’s energy is replaced with a higher percentage of carbon-free and renewable energy sources than their previous supplier. SJW also switched the fuel supply for all 57 of their diesel trucks to a renewable biofuel, in addition to integrating electric vehicles into their passenger vehicle fleet.

The SJW Sustainability Report also explains their plans to design and start the permitting process to install solar panels at two of its largest-producing groundwater pumping stations, Williams Road Station and Three Mile Station, for a total capacity of about 1,800 kW, pending CPUC approval.

Reducing energy consumption and operating costs through energy efficiency pumping operations based on peak energy usage periods and technology to monitor pump efficiently remotely.

Detail the progress of an energy recovery facility at its Cox Station that was built in 2011 to recover energy lost during the transfer of water from transmission pipes to the Cox reservoirs. Since then, two high-pressure water turbines have generated a total of 1.7 GWh, resulting in over $285,000 in energy cost savings.