Sonoma Water will partner with White Pine Renewables, LLC, to replace the aging solar power system at the Sonoma Valley Treatment Plant, following Board of Directors approval on June 3. The new system will be financed, built, owned and operated by White Pine at no upfront cost to Sonoma Water.
Under a 35-year agreement, White Pine will sell solar power to the Power and Water Resources Pooling Authority, which will allocate it back to Sonoma Water. The locked-in rate of 9.88 cents per kilowatt-hour with a 1.5 percent annual increase is projected to save Sonoma Water about $15.5 million over the life of the agreement.
The project supports Sonoma Water’s climate resiliency goals and will keep renewable power flowing to the treatment plant with minimal site disruption, using the same footprint as the current system. Even with potential tariff-related cost adjustments, the agreement remains a cost-effective investment in local clean energy.
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