(KRON) – There is yet another big benefit to Northern California’s wet winter this year. Hydroelectric plants will be able to generate more power, and that could help with your bill.
“PG&E has the largest fleet. We can generate clean energy with hydropower that can run 4 million homes,” said Paul Moreno with PG&E.
Although the numbers haven't been crunched yet to indicate how much your power bill could be affected, Moreno says the ability to generate more clean energy at PG&E’s 67 powerhouses at more than 100 reservoirs is a win for everyone.
“It is too soon to say, but it is very helpful to have this situation rather than a drought that has hardships,” Moreno said.
The East Bay Municipal Water District has a large hydropower plant at Pardee Reservoir. In 2021, 50,000 megawatts per hour were generated. This year, the plant is slated to crank out 205,000 megawatts per hour. That’s a 310% increase.
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The abundance of water this winter has already knocked off the drought surcharge on ratepayers' bills, and the excessive water use penalty is projected to be suspended next month.
“We are a nonprofit, so any extra money made goes right back into the system to maintain the system and keep it running well,” said Andrea Pook with the water district.
Pook and Moreno added that although many factors go into calculating a bill, the bonus of a massive winter has far-reaching benefits including helping the bottom line for ratepayers across the board.
from KRON4 https://ift.tt/jQd8ZJI
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