Tulare County Ask Governor & Utility To Extend Biomass Contracts
Tulare County Board of supervisors is requesting San Diego Gas and Electric extend its contract with biomass plants in the Valley including Convanta in Delano who intends to close December 31. The plant generates 56.5 MW of power from ag and forest waste. In a proclamation December 8 the county is also requesting Governor Brown extend a contract with the Delano operation who burns forest waste that comes from high tree mortality due to the drought.
On December 16 the Valley Air Board is expected to give permission to a handful of growers who have no home for their high volume of orchard waste due to the drought and give them one-time permission to burn the waste through open fields burning.
Kern Crude Falling To 2009 Levels
Kern crude as measured by Midway Sunset oil posted price should come in around $33 to 34 per barrel Tuesday December 8 as WTI crude has sunk more than 5% today. The low price of Kern crude is at 6-year low with January 2009 coming in at around $29 per barrel then.
The low price of oil comes as OPEC refuses to slow oil exports even as US producers say the too, will not stop drilling.
The falling price of California crude should nudge state gasoline prices lower over the next few weeks. Retail gas prices are already toying with the $2 level in California (one station at $2.09 today) and are averaging below $2.69 a a gallon. US gasoline prices are the lowest in 7 years.
The EIA says this week despite record drilling reserve supplies of crude and natural gas are up around 10% in the latest survey.
Natural gas prices continue to be near $2 per million btu level.
Kern County’s economy is impacted big time by the price drop.Kern County produces 72% of California’s crude oil, and is home to the state’s five largest producing oil fields. With a drop in oil drilling two cogen power plants in the county that provide steam for oil drilling have thrown in the towel.
A Western States Petroleum study says in California’s Central Valley, where the majority of the state’s energy production occurs, the petroleum industry supports more than 78,000 local jobs or 13 percent of the region’s entire workforce. Energy production in the region provides local and state government with $3.2 billion in tax revenue.
Maricopa West Solar Farm Near Taft Complete
E.ON Solar, a German owned utility, announced lat month the Maricopa West, a 20 MW (AC) solar project located in Kern County, has completed the construction phase and is set to become fully operational.
“The completion of Maricopa West, ahead of schedule and under budget, demonstrates the E.ON Solar team’s expertise in developing best-in-class projects, as well as our continued success in collaborating with technology, engineering and construction partners, and local, state, and federal officials,” said Steve Trenholm, CEO, E.ON Solar. “We are also proud that the construction of Maricopa West provided a boost to the Kern County economy by creating 160 jobs for electricians, iron workers, laborers and other trades.”
Maricopa West occupies land purchased by E.ON Solar within the Maricopa Sun Solar Complex, a 4,000- acre solar park near Taft, California. The complex has obtained a conditional use permit from Kern County, an incidental take permit from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and a habitat conservation plan under Section 10 of the Endangered Species Act from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The habitat conservation plan for the Maricopa Sun solar complex is among the first of its kind granted by the USFWS.
“We worked closely with U.S. Fish and Wildlife and California Fish and Wildlife to get to the point of a shovel ready project,” said Jeff Roberts of Maricopa Sun. “We are also very grateful for the efforts of federal, state and local officials in Kern County for supporting the complex from day one. The Kern County Planning Department deserves special recognition for encouraging our project through unchartered waters.”The Maricopa West solar project will utilize single-axis tracking and consist of 89,000 photovoltaic panels.
“The future for E.ON Solar is bright, as evidenced by our successful completion of projects in California and Arizona, and our track-record of creating clean, reliable energy that doesn’t use water in the production of electricity, creates more jobs and helps to address America’s energy resource and security needs,” said Trenholm.
E.ON is one of the world’s largest investor-owned power and gas companies, with annual sales of €112 billion and more than 58,000 employees. E.ON, headquartered in Dusseldorf, Germany, plays a leading role in the development of the renewable industry worldwide and is already active in onshore and offshore wind, photovoltaic, and concentrating solar power (CSP).