Port of Oakland to buy renewable energy from EBMUD

The Oakland Board of Port Commissioners approved extending a contract to purchase renewable electricity from the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) at the Oct. 13, 2022 board meeting. The energy will come from EBMUD’s Wastewater Treatment Plant Power Generation Station.

The Port has been purchasing that electricity for 10 years under a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). This latest agreement with EBMUD extends the Port’s access to EBMUD’s renewable energy for an additional 2.5 years.

“This helps us to exceed regulatory requirements for renewable sources of electricity for our current and future needs,” said Jared Carpenter, Port of Oakland Utilities Administration Manager. “This is good for our community and continues our valuable partnership with EBMUD.”

“EBMUD’s wastewater treatment plant at the base of the Bay Bridge is more than a treatment plant – it’s a green factory, where organic wastes, such as food scraps, are converted to renewable energy,” said Doug Linney, President of EBMUD’s Board of Directors. “EBMUD is pleased that its surplus renewable electricity will continue to be used locally to benefit the greater Oakland community.”

The Port is a publicly owned utility delivering energy to a variety of customers within the Oakland Seaport and Oakland International Airport.

In 2020, the Port’s total power supply mix included 70.4% from renewable resources, of which 20.3% came from EBMUD, 12.8% came from large hydroelectric generators for a total of 83.2% energy delivered from non-carbon emitting resources.

In 2012, EBMUD became one of the first wastewater treatment plants in North America to produce more renewable energy onsite than is needed to run the facility. This monumental accomplishment was made possible when EBMUD installed an energy-efficient, low-emission gas turbine in 2011. EBMUD sells the excess renewable energy to the Port of Oakland, cutting fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions, and provides savings for EBMUD and Port of Oakland ratepayers.