Port of Oakland utility green power portfolio grows

The Port of Oakland Utility serving customers at the seaport and airport fulfills 66.9% of its power needs from carbon free energy sources, nearly double the state average.

“Acquiring renewable power sources to meet our energy needs is an important part of our journey to become a zero-emissions seaport,” said Port of Oakland Executive Director Danny Wan. “This accomplishment strengthens our dedication to make port operations as green as possible, as fast as possible.”

According to the 2021 Port Utility Green Power Portfolio, submitted to the California Energy Commission (CEC) annually, the Port Utility supplied 49.9% of its power from eligible renewable resources, well above the state average of 33.6%. The breakdown of renewable sources includes:

• Biomass and biowaste (9.4%),

• Eligible hydroelectricity (.2%),

• Solar (21.9%); and

• Wind (18.4%).

An additional 8.7% of power came from large hydroelectric sources and an additional 8.3% from solar, bringing the total to 66.9% green power. This covers the external purchases of energy, but the Port also has internal solar and fuel cells operating daily, further increasing its overall green energy use.

“It’s rewarding to be able to harness the sustainable power of the sun, water, wind, waste products and geothermal sources to supply the Port’s power needs,” said Port of Oakland Manager of Utilities Administration Jared Carpenter. “Operating an electric utility in California today is challenging with storms, wildfires and droughts that impede availability of power. However, the Port’s mix of power resources demonstrates our commitment to providing cleaner energy, reliable power and rates lower than surrounding utilities,” Carpenter added.

The port, like other retail electricity suppliers, reports its electricity purchases to the Energy Commission each year, which in turn creates a Power Content Label providing information to consumers about the sources of their power.

California State Assembly Bill 1110, passed in 2020, significantly strengthened requirements requiring retail suppliers to disclose their power sources as part of the state’s effort to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions.