County backs energy independence

A $1 million initiative by the Sonoma County Water Agency will explore creating energy-independent business parks and incentives to encourage electric cars in company fleets.

Supervisors and agency officials said they want to be in the forefront of developing environmentally sustainable practices that could serve as models for private businesses as well as government agencies.

Key ideas include development of energy-independent islands of office complexes, industrial buildings and even residences where solar panels would provide all the necessary power. Likely targets are the business park around the airport, the 8th Street East area of Sonoma near the county sewage treatment plant and the former Agilent complex in Rohnert Park where businesses and residences are under development.

Agency officials also are starting negotiations with automakers for volume purchases of electric vehicles for use by local public agencies and private businesses, Water Agency engineer Cordel Stillman said.

"We need incentives to try to bring the cost down and get them into fleets. It could be a tax break or a rebate," Stillman said. "We think it is time to explore volume purchase of these vehicles."

The Water Agency's initiative is likely to get a good reception from businesses if the ideas translate into programs that save money and benefit the environment, said Cynthia Murray, chief executive of the North Bay Leadership Council.

Sustainable-energy programs could create jobs and encourage development of even more green technology, she said.

"We see multiple public-private partnerships coming out of this," Murray said.

Money for the initiative, dubbed the Water Agency's "sustainability program," comes from the agency's general fund, a source that is not available for transfer to other programs such as health services or road repair.

The funding was approved Tuesday by county supervisors, who act as agency directors.

"There is a lot of talk going on but, in the end, the only one really doing anything to promote energy sustainability is local government," said Supervisor Paul Kelley, who is also chairman of the county's water advisory committee.

Water Agency officials said they are already on track for their energy independence. That's because renewable energy sources such as methane gas produced at the landfill and two solar energy projects are producing 75 percent of the 60 million kilowatts of power used to pump water and treat wastewater throughout the agency's system.

Nancy McFadden, senior vice president of PG&E, which buys electricity produced by the Water Agency in a separate project, said Water Agency operations could achieve "carbon-free water by 2015."

She said PG&E will assist agency engineers in developing geothermal heat pumps for use in their plans for energy-independent islands of businesses and residences.

Although projects in the Water Agency's sustainability program have been percolating for nearly two years, they received a renewed push by the county's participation in last December's international climate protection conference in Bali, Indonesia. Kelley and Tim Anderson, the agency's governmental affairs coordinator, said they returned with enthusiasm for moving ahead with multiple pilot projects.

Other projects covered by the $1 million appropriation include $66,000 to the local Climate Protection Campaign to assist development of "zero energy" projects, exploring establishment of an irrigation district and convening a conference to demonstrate how Sonoma County has become a "climate change laboratory."

You can reach Staff Writer Bleys W. Rose at 521-5431 or bleys.rose@pressdemocrat.com.