Riverside Public Utilities (RPU) is a publicly owned water and electric utility that has been providing efficient, reliable services throughout Riverside since 1895. They are committed to providing the highest-quality water and electric services at the lowest possible rates to benefit the community. In addition to efficient and reliable services, RPU seeks to meet the State’s decarbonization goals by procuring a renewable portfolio. As of 2023, RPU’s power content shows 46.4% of its energy supply coming from renewable sources such as wind, solar, and geothermal.
Riverside is not part of a CCA, however, it does offer an option to both residents and commercial customers to elect to receive 100% renewable energy as long as they are not on a Net Energy Metering schedule. It is an addition cost per kWh above the effective energy charges of the customer’s rate schedule.
Riverside’s Renewable Power Mix 2023
Solar Power
RPU’s Self-Generation Program allows solar customers to remain fully connected to the power grid and receive a credit on their bill for all excess energy sent back to the grid. It has resulted in over 4,700 homes and businesses installing solar and reducing the utility’s reliance on grid supplied energy. Another source of renewable energy has been from Riverside’s Tequesquite Solar Project. This is a seven-megawatt solar farm that feeds into the local grid and can light up 1,600 homes. RPU participates in five solar projects through SCPPA (Southern California Public Power Authority) which serves 7.5% of the retail load or 70.1 megawatts of renewable resource capacity.
Wind Energy
Through an approved renewable Power Purchase and Sale Agreement (PPSA) the City is entitled to 125 Megawatt (MW) of additional renewable wind capacity from the out-of-state SunZia Wind Project located in Lincoln, Torrance, and San Miguel Counties, New Mexico and developed by Pattern Energy. The wind energy will be delivered over a new 550-mile, 525 kV Direct Current (DC) transmission line into central Arizona, and then in turn over existing transmission to the CAISO intertie at Palo Verde. It will make up 16% of the retail load in 2027. RPU is also the sole off taker of WKN Wagner and Cabazon wind energy. WKN Wagner located in Palm Springs has two, 3 megawatt turbines and Cabazon has a 39-megawatt facility which together make of 4% of retail load.
Geothermal Power
As of 2022, RPU has a 20-year contract with Coso Operating Co., a 150 megawatt facility in Inyo County, where Riverside has a 10 mega-watt share (3.8% of retail load) that will increase steadily to 30 megawatts (11% of retail load) in geothermal energy. Riverside also gas ten more geothermal units with Cal Energy, a 340 mega-watt facility where Riverside has a share pf 6 mega-watts, serving 29% of the retail load.
2030 Renewable standards and Projections
By 2027, RPU projects they will receive 116 mega-watts from geothermal energy, 97 mega-watts from solar energy, ad 170 megawatts from wind energy. Riverside will exceed Californias 60% renewable portfolio standard mandate by 2030, 3 years earlier. By 2030, RPU projects to serve 69.1% of retail sales at approximately 1,500,000 megawatts a year from 2 geothermal energy sources, 3 wind energy sources, and 7 solar energy sources.
