Oakland invests in geothermal energy

The geothermal energy will come from a Geysers Power Company facility located around 75 miles north of San Francisco. The Geysers is reportedly one of the largest complexes of geothermal power plants in the world with thirteen facilities along the Sonoma and Lake County border.

“The port’s mix of power resources demonstrates our commitment to providing cleaner energy, reliable power and rates lower than surrounding utilities,” said Port of Oakland utilities manager Jared Carpenter.

“Operating an electric utility in California today is challenging with weather events, wildfires and droughts that impede availability of power,” he added.

Geothermal power is energy derived from the heat of the earth’s core. Wells averaging 8,500 feet deep and some up to two miles deep tap into naturally occurring steam field reservoirs below the earth’s surface.

The energy purchase will begin in 2025 and run until 2036, averaging around US$1,125,000 per year. Geothermal energy will account for around 10% per year of the port’s overall energy portfolio with emphasis given to greener sources such as geothermal, biomass, solar, and wind energy.

“This contract is significant because it is a new energy deal for the Port of Oakland–not an extension of a previous deal–that helps enhance our power supply portfolio with another fully renewable natural resource,” said Carpenter.

The Geysers has a net generating capacity of about 725 megawatts of electricity – enough to power a city the size of San Francisco.