State Investment
San Vicente Energy Storage Facility received $18 million from the state budget – enough to advance the project through initial design, environmental reviews, and the federal licensing process.
The proposed San Vicente Energy Storage Facility would provide clean energy to protect California homes and businesses from power outages during heat waves and peak demand periods. The proposed project is in the early stages of design and feasibility studies in preparation for seeking state and federal regulatory permits and licenses needed to move forward.
It would work by drawing renewable energy during the day to pump water from the San Vicente Reservoir to a smaller upper basin that would be built as part of the project. When the sun goes down and household demand goes up, the pooled energy would be released to spin turbines and generate electricity as the water flows downhill through pipes and turbines. In this way, clean energy could be supplied when it’s needed the most.
Currently the team is evaluating the project to determine if it could store 4,000 megawatt-hours per day of energy (500 megawatts of capacity for eight hours) – roughly equivalent to the amount of power used by 135,000 homes. The exchange of water between the reservoirs will not consume water.
The reservoir is near major electricity transmission interconnection facilities, which would allow the project to play a central role in integrating solar and wind energy from across the Southwest.
The City of San Diego and the San Diego County Water Authority are jointly proposing the project as a key step toward increasing power grid reliability, avoiding blackouts and meeting goals set by the City and State to achieve a carbon-free energy supply. In 2021, the State of California invested $18 million in the project, funding initial design and environmental and feasibility studies required to prepare the project for state and federal regulatory and licensing review processes.
The public agencies are negotiating with a private firm to carry out the feasibility analysis and preliminary design for the proposed project. The agencies are proposing to leverage existing assets for the proposed project. If approved, the agencies would benefit by receiving payments from the private developer, minimizing ratepayer risk while creating new revenues.
All plans are subject to state and federal approvals.
San Vicente Energy Storage Facility received $18 million from the state budget – enough to advance the project through initial design, environmental reviews, and the federal licensing process.
The City of San Diego and the Water Authority are currently negotiating a project development agreement with the BHE Kiewit Team to develop Phase 1 of the potential San Vicente Energy Storage Facility Project.
The Water Authority’s Board approved a $4.6 million contract with AECOM Technical Services, Inc. to perform preliminary environmental work for the potential project, and a $1.6 million amendment to a professional services contract with Black & Veatch Corp.
San Diego County Water Authority and City of San Diego host community open house for Lakeside residents to learn more about the project before environmental and geotechnical surveys ramp up.
The proposed San Vicente Energy Storage Facility is a joint effort of the San Diego County Water Authority and the City of San Diego.
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