Presentation to San Diego Sierra Club

Richard Caputo

12 Nov 07

Renewable Energy Parks

Renewable Energy Parks 2

The Issue

• Almost all Renewable Resources for the SD Region Are Outside San Diego County, – 84% of the total

• Roof Top Solar Plus Other In-region Sources Make Up Only 16%

• We Want to Capture Benefits of Renewables for the Residents and Businesses of the SD Region

Renewable Energy Parks 3

County of San Diego Interests

• There are opportunities within the County of San Diego to increase renewables to 50% of the total renewables production by 2030

• This would:– Add Jobs in San Diego County– Add a New Tax Base in San Diego County– Exercise Local Control Over Our Energy Sources– Significantly Reduce Fossil Fuel Dependence and

Production of Green House Gases---AB32– Reduce the Need for Transmission Lines from

Outside SD Cty

Renewable Energy Parks 4

In-County San Diego Renewables

• Total Resource Similar to Current San Diego Peak Demand --- About 5000 MW

• Derived from:– Concentration Solar Plants, ~72%– Wind, ~ 20%– Roof Top PV, ~ 5% by 2020 based on CSI– Biomass/Biogas Plants, 3%

Renewable Energy Parks 5

Key Characteristics of Largest San Diego Renewable Resource – Concentrating Solar

• Power Plant Would Be 5 to 35 MW – Small– Typical Power Plants are 100 to 300 MW

• 10 to 30 Smaller Solar Plants in San Diego County Are Needed To Equal One Desert Plant of ~300 MW

• Many Smaller Plants Are a BARRIER to In-County Development – High Transactions Cost for Multiple Sites– Many Sets of Permits, Zoning Changes,

Environmental Assessments, etc

Renewable Energy Parks 6

Actions To Overcome Barrier

• Level Playing Field for Many Dispersed Smaller Plants In-County:

– Create Dispersed Renewable Energy Parks

– Sites Brought to Ready-to-Build Status

– Make These Sites Available to Plant Builders When They Sign Contract with SDG&E

Renewable Energy Parks 7

Roof Top &Industrial PV

SolarPowerPark

WindPowerPark

SolarPowerPark

SolarPowerPark

WindPowerPark

SolarPowerPark

Proposed sites for solar and wind Power Parks.Environmental assessments, permits, power lines and water are

pre-arranged by San Diego County action

Renewable Energy Parks 8

Renewable Energy Park is Similar to Industrial Park

• Sites Are Prepared and Permitted in Advance.

• County of San Diego Invests in Site Preparation,

• Investment Recovered from Property and Sales Taxes on Development of Solar and Wind Generation at the Sites, and Assembly Plants.

• In-County Jobs with Secondary Economic Boost and Additional Taxes.

Renewable Energy Parks 9

Proposed County Action

• Step 1: Sign MOU with SDG&E – They would agree to buy power from renewable

power plant builders using County Energy Parks

• Step 2: Streamline Multiple Power Plant Approval Process for Renewable Energy Parks on Land Within SD County

• Step 3: Establish Multiple Renewable Energy Park Sites

• 3 to 5% of Plant Cost Up-front to Set Up Parks– Similar to creating an industrial park

Renewable Energy Parks 10

Step 2: Streamline Multiple Power Plant Approval Process

1.    Review county current regulations and internal processes for approving the construction and operation of a 5 to 50 MW renewable energy power plant in the County e.g. zoning changes, permits, reviews, etc.

2. Identify bottle necks that would result if 50 to 150 of these similar power plant applications were made within a short time (~ 1 to 5 years).

3.     Identify ways to streamline the process and 'pre-approve' these types of projects of this range of size and types of technology.

4. Implement a program to bring out this streamlining of procedures and approvals for these power plants and to allow their fast-tracking.

11

Step 3: Establish Multiple Site Renewable Energy Parks

• Authorize an Entity (for-profit, non-profit or SDG&E) to Provide the Following Services:– perform the initial survey studies of East-County power

line capabilities and cost of up-grade to carry up to a total of 1500 MW of renewable power distributed over East-County San Diego

– Determine the preferred locations for these smaller renewable energy power plants in East-County

– Lease or procure these lands– Obtain zoning changes and other permits– Generate Environmental Impact Assessments– Connect to local grid– Put sites into the renewables land bank for later use by

power plant contractors when they sign a power purchase agreement with SDG&E

Renewable Energy Parks 12

Summary

• To Establish a More Secure Energy Future for San Diego County That Is:– Based on Renewables– 50% of Renewable Power Is Home Grown with

• Local Jobs• Local Taxes

– Reduce Need for Long Distance Transmission Lines

• Create a Renewable Energy Park Throughout East County San Diego

• Investment Returned to County by taxes paid by new solar power park employees, construction workers and land use taxes

Renewable Energy Parks 13

ACKNOLOWLEGEMENTS

• Major Contributions from:– Barry Butler, PhD

• Inputs from:– Scott Debenham– Skip Fralick– Charlie Johnson

Early Project Questions ?

• What Are the Up-Front Costs for a Typical Site?• What Is the Current Process for Site Approval

– How Could It Be Streamlined by the County– By Other Agencies Normally Involved

• Of the ~ 4500 MW Resource, How Much Is Close to Existing Transmission Lines

• Would Ranchers Be Willing to Lease Land for Power• How Much Power Can the East County Grid Carry to

San Diego Without Modification• How Much Can This Be Increased by New

Technology Wires That Appear the Same• What Would Be the Next Increment in Power with

Wires That Look Different – how different? 14

Other Early Project Questions ?

•

•

•

•

•

Renewable Energy Parks 15

Approaches for Joint Project

• Joint Task Force– Several members of both organizations– One task leader chosen by task force

• Other Approach ?

•

• How To Direct Mentored Students– One-on-one Mentoring– Other ?

Renewable Energy Parks 16

Renewable Energy Team 17

Back-up Materials

Renewable Energy Parks 18

Energy Cost of Large Desert Plant Delivered To San Diego County Similar To

Cost of In-Basin Small Power Plants

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

12.0

14.0

16.0

18.0

0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000

In-Basin Land Cost, $/acre

En

erg

y C

os

t, c

en

ts/K

Wh

900 MW Solar Desert Plant

Delivered Solar Desert Plant

Delivered Solar + GeothermalPower

5 MW San Diego In-BasinSolar Plants

Renewable Energy Parks 19

POWER SPLITS BETWEEN SAN DIEGO COUNTY AND THE REGION (SAN DIEGO + IMPERIAL COUNTIES), MW

CENTRALIZED

Current 2007 2020

SD County Region SD County Region

Concentrating Solar 0 0 800 1,500

Geothermal 0 45 0 740

Wind 50 100 450 625

Other 31 31 70 72

-Biomass 5 5 29 29

-Landfill Bio-Gas 18 18 32 32

-Small Hydro 8 8 10 12

Sub Total (MW) 81 176 1,320 2,938

DISTRIBUTED

Roof Top PV 29 29 285 287

Total (MW) 110 205 1,606 3,225

Renewable Energy Team 20

SD Region RESOURCE MAGNITUDE, MW

TECHNOLOGY GROSS

POTENTIAL

TECHNICAL

POTENTIAL

CURRENT

CONC SOLAR, Total

(San Diego)

296,000

(35,000)

31,900

(3,500 )

Zero

WIND, Total

(San Diego Cty)

(Baja California)

2,500 to 2,800 1,680 to 1,830

(up to 960)

(up to 300)

50 MW

GEOTHERMAL,Total

(Baja California)

? 2,500 to 3,400

(840)

1257 MW

(720)

BIO-MASS ? 44 to 106 5 MW

BIO-GAS ? 72 18 MW

Small HYDRO, Total

(San Diego Cty)

(Imperial Cty)

(Baja California)

? 170

(10)

(up to 86.5)

(up to 75)

8.3 MW

(8.3)